Who is Connor Hellebuyck? Team USA goalie will receive Presidential Medal of Freedom after Olympic gold

Entering the Olympics, there's a decent accidental you did not cognize who Connor Hellebuyck was, but now, he's an American hero.

Hellebuyck made 41 saves successful Sunday's golden medal game, including 1 with his instrumentality down his backmost to assistance unafraid the United States' archetypal Olympic golden medal successful men's hockey since 1980.

The speech astir Hellebuyck successful NHL circles has ever been his show successful large games, but successful the biggest crippled of his life, helium delivered connected a worldwide stage.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM 

Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States observe a 2-1 triumph against Canada successful overtime for the golden medal during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Hellebuyck, 32, was not precisely a apical imaginable successful his younger days but made a sanction for himself astatine UMass Amherst. After being a fourth-round prime by the Winnipeg Jets (130th overall) successful 2012, helium spent 2 seasons successful college, winning the Hockey East Conference some times, making the Frozen Four successful his freshman year, and being named the apical assemblage goalie successful his sophomore season.

Hellebuyck made his NHL debut connected Nov. 27, 2015, winning his archetypal 4 games and signaling a shutout successful conscionable his ninth. He broke retired successful his 3rd season, starring the NHL with 44 wins en way to not lone his archetypal All-Star motion but besides finishing 2nd successful the Vezina Trophy voting arsenic the league’s apical goaltender, an grant helium took location 2 years later.

The Olympics was not the archetypal clip Hellebuyck represented the United States, either — helium was connected the squad successful the 4 Nations and played successful the men's satellite championships successful some 2015 and 2017.

The Jets goalie is present the back-to-back reigning Vezina Trophy victor arsenic 1 of conscionable 13 goalies successful NHL past to triumph the grant 3 oregon much times. He besides is the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner, fixed to the NHL's Most Valuable Player.

Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States saves the changeable taken by Devon Toews of Team Canada successful the 3rd play during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

The regular-season success, however, has travel astatine the disbursal of playoff success.

Ever since making the Western Conference Finals successful his breakout 2017-18 campaign, Hellebuyck and the Jets person not been capable to get past the 2nd round. He is 24-34 beingness successful the playoffs, and his prevention percent is .903, down from .917 successful the regular season. Owning a 2.79 GAA (goals-against average) of 2.55 successful the regular play since 2017, that fig is 2.90 successful the playoffs.

The story, perhaps, mightiness beryllium unwritten aft his magic successful Milan. In 5 games played, helium stopped 95.6% of the shots connected extremity (131 of 137) and allowed much than 1 extremity conscionable erstwhile — successful the semifinal against Slovakia.

Hellebuyck's heroics person tabbed him arguably the MVP of the American squad that was hopeless for gold. While Jack Hughes’ aureate extremity has been the main conversation, President Donald Trump took enactment of Hellebuyck’s show and announced astatine Tuesday’s State of the Union that helium volition person the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Goalie Connor Hellebuyck raises his golden medal arsenic members of the US Men's Olympic hockey squad are recogized by US President Donald Trump arsenic helium delivers the State of the Union code successful the House Chamber of the US Capitol successful Washington, D.C, connected Feb. 24, 2026. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds-/AFP via Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The instrumentality of the NHL play volition beryllium awkward for Hellebuyck, who volition person to caput backmost to Canada aft breaking the hearts of his precise ain Jets fans. His squad needs a occurrence to marque the playoffs this year, but with Hellebuyck successful net, a bounce-back adjacent play should ne'er beryllium counted out.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter

Related Article