NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Going into the Olympics, there’s a good chance you didn’t know who Connor Hellebuyck was, but now he’s an American hero.
Hellebuyck made 41 saves in Sunday’s gold medal game, including one with his stick behind his back to help secure the United States’ first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
The talk around Hellebuyck in NHL circles has always been his performance in big games, and in the biggest game of his life, he delivered on a world stage.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Connor Hellebuyck celebrates a 2-1 victory against Canada in overtime for the gold medal during the Winter Olympic Games at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Stadium on February 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Hellebuyck, 32, wasn’t exactly a top prospect in his youth, but he made a name for himself at UMass Amherst. After being a fourth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets (130th overall) in 2012, he spent two seasons in college, winning the Hockey Eastern Conference both times, reaching the Frozen Four in his first year and being named the top college goalie in his second season.
Hellebuyck made his NHL debut on November 27, 2015, winning his first four games and recording a shutout in just the ninth. He excelled in his third season, leading the NHL with 44 wins en route to not only his first All-Star nod, but also finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting as the league’s top goalie, an award he took home two years later.
The Olympics weren’t the first time Hellebuyck represented the United States either: he was on the 4 Nations team and played in the men’s world championships in both 2015 and 2017.
The Jets goaltender is now the back-to-back winner of the Vezina Trophy as one of 13 goaltenders in NHL history to win the award three or more times. He is also the current winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the NHL’s Most Valuable Player.
Connor Hellebuyck blocks a shot by Canada’s Devon Toews during the gold medal match at the Winter Olympics on February 22, 2026 in Milan. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Regular season success, however, came at the expense of playoff success.
Since reaching the Western Conference Finals in his breakout 2017-18 campaign, Hellebuyck and the Jets have failed to advance past the second round. He is 24-34 in the playoffs and his save percentage is .903, down from .917 in the regular season. Owning a 2.79 GAA (goals against average) of 2.55 in the regular season since 2017, that number is 2.90 in the playoffs.
History, perhaps, might not be written after his magic in Milan. In five games played, he stopped 95.6% of the shots on goal (131 of 137) and allowed more than one goal only once: in the semifinal against Slovakia.
Hellebuyck’s heroics have made him arguably the MVP of the American team that was desperate for gold. While Jack Hughes’ golden goal has been the main talk, President Donald Trump took note of Hellebuyck’s performance and announced at Tuesday’s State of the Union that he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck raises his gold medal as members of the hockey team are recognized by President Donald Trump during the State of the Union address at the United States Capitol on February 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
The return of the NHL season will be awkward for Hellebuyck, who will have to return to Canada after breaking the hearts of his own Jets fans. His team needs a miracle to make the playoffs this year, but with Hellebuyck in the fold, a bounce-back next season should never be ruled out.
Related article
