WINNIPEG — Connor Hellebuyck is a long way from Odessa, Texas.



In his hockey career, however, he’s not that far removed.



It was just six and a half years ago that a then 18-year-old Michigan kid showed up as a training camp invite for the Odessa Jackalopes of the North American Hockey League junior circuit.



“We had like eight goalies at tryouts, no one knew anything about him,” Joe Clark, the former GM and goalie coach of the Jackalopes, recalled in an interview with The Athletic. “Connor stood out. He made the team and he was a no-brainer for us as a staff. But he really had no resume whatsoever before that.’’



Fresh out of high school hockey in his native Commerce, Mich., Hellebuyck soaked it all in in Odessa and never looked back. He put up a .930 save percentage in 53 games in 2011-12 for the Jackalopes.



“He’s one of the best stories you could ever come up with,” said Clark, now...