Jets Beat Devils 4-2 as Mercer Scores Twice and Winnipeg Fans Boo Hellebuyck

The Winnipeg Jets beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday night at Canada Life Centre. Dawson Mercer scored twice against the team that traded him away, Kyle Connor added two goals, and the Winnipeg crowd spent the whole night booing Connor Hellebuyck, the franchise goaltender who forced his way out and now wears a Devils jersey. It was the Jets’ fourth straight win after a nine-game losing streak.

Key Points

• The Winnipeg Jets beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg.
• Dawson Mercer scored twice against his former team, including the tiebreaker with 8:02 left in the third period.
• Kyle Connor also scored twice, including a power-play goal and an empty-net goal in the final minute.
• Connor Hellebuyck, the former Jets star now with New Jersey, was booed all night and made 21 saves on 24 shots.
• The Jets have won four straight after a nine-game losing streak, improving to 7-8-3, while the Devils fell to 13-5-0.

What Happened

Winnipeg opened the scoring on the power play. Kyle Connor beat Hellebuyck at 15:06 of the first period to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. The crowd had booed Hellebuyck from warm-ups, and every touch of the puck drew another round of noise.

The Devils answered, and the two sides went into the third period in a tight contest. Winnipeg outshot New Jersey 25-21, but Hellebuyck stopped 21 of 24 shots to keep the Devils in it.

The game turned late. With 8:02 remaining in the third period, Mercer scored on the power play to break the tie, finishing a play set up by Alex Iafallo and Viggo Bjorck. It was Mercer’s second of the night against his old club, and it put Winnipeg ahead for good. Connor sealed it with an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third to make it 4-2.

Background: The Trade That Set Up the Night

Tuesday’s game was only possible because of the trade that shook the NHL in late October. Hellebuyck, Winnipeg’s longtime franchise goaltender, asked for a trade in late August and was suspended on September 16 for missing training camp. After weeks of stalemate, the Jets moved him to New Jersey for Mercer, centre Sean Bjugstad, goaltender Nico Daws, a 2029 second-round draft pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick.

Hellebuyck made his Devils debut on October 27, stopping 16 of 17 shots in a 5-1 rout of the Dallas Stars. Hellebuyck won his Devils debut in Dallas, Mercer, meanwhile, went the other way. The trade sent him to a Winnipeg team that was about to fall apart. The Jets lost nine games in a row, and the deal looked like a disaster for them. Then the skid ended. Daws, the other half of the trade’s return, was in goal for Winnipeg on Tuesday, stopping 20 of 22 shots against the team that drafted him.

Jets Beat Devils 4-2 Behind Mercer’s Two Goals

Mercer’s night was the heart of the story. His tiebreaker came on the power play with 8:02 left, on a setup from Iafallo and Bjorck, and it was the kind of goal that makes a trade look different. He scored twice against the team that drafted him, and the crowd that had spent the night booing Hellebuyck roared for him. Winnipeg scored twice on the power play, including the tiebreaker, while New Jersey could not find the same edge.

Reactions

The loudest reaction of the night belonged to the crowd. Winnipeg fans booed Hellebuyck every time he touched the puck, from warm-ups to the final horn, an answer to a summer in which their franchise goaltender asked out and missed camp.

The cheers told the other half of the story. When Mercer scored the tiebreaker, the building erupted, and when Connor’s empty-net goal sealed the win, the crowd stayed standing. The fans had watched their team lose nine games in a row; now they were watching it beat one of the best teams in the league. The Devils had won a shootout against Edmonton the week before, and Jack Hughes scored an overtime winner against the Islanders days later, but Tuesday belonged to Winnipeg.

Why It Matters

The result matters first because of what it says about Winnipeg. A month ago, the Jets were losers of nine straight, and the Hellebuyck trade looked like the start of a rebuild nobody wanted. Four wins later, they are 7-8-3 and climbing, and the players they got for their star goaltender scored the goals that beat his new team. That changes how the trade is judged, at least for one night.

It matters second because of what it says about New Jersey. The Devils are still 13-5-0, one of the best teams in the NHL, and one loss in Winnipeg does not change that. But the game showed Hellebuyck can be beaten when the crowd is against him and the other team’s power play is clicking. The Devils gave up two power-play goals, and that is a problem a team with Stanley Cup hopes cannot ignore. It matters third because of Mercer himself. Players traded for a star are often judged as the price paid. On Tuesday, Mercer was the best player on the ice at the biggest moment of the game, scoring the tiebreaker against the team that traded him.

What Happens Next

Winnipeg will try to keep the streak alive. Four straight wins have pulled the Jets back toward .500. The power play is producing, Daws is giving them steady goaltending, and Mercer and Connor are scoring.

New Jersey will look to bounce back quickly. The Devils are still near the top of the standings. One loud night in Winnipeg does not undo a 13-5-0 start, but the Devils will want to fix the penalty kill. When the two teams meet again, Hellebuyck will be back in goal for New Jersey, Mercer will be trying to score on him again, and the story of the trade will get another chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who scored for the Jets against the Devils?

Dawson Mercer scored twice, including the tiebreaker with 8:02 left in the third period, and Kyle Connor also scored twice, including a power-play goal and an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third.

How did Connor Hellebuyck play in his return to Winnipeg?

Hellebuyck made 21 saves on 24 shots for New Jersey. Winnipeg fans booed him all night in his first game back at Canada Life Centre since the trade.

What are the Jets’ and Devils’ records now?

Winnipeg improved to 7-8-3 with its fourth straight win after a nine-game losing streak. New Jersey fell to 13-5-0.

Why were Winnipeg fans booing Hellebuyck?

Hellebuyck was Winnipeg’s franchise goaltender before he asked for a trade in late August 2026 and was suspended on September 16 for missing camp. The Jets traded him to New Jersey in late October, and Tuesday was his first game back in Winnipeg as a Devil.

Who did the Jets get for Hellebuyck?

Mercer, Bjugstad, Daws, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick. Mercer and Daws both played key roles in Tuesday’s 4-2 win.