Connor Hellebuyck’s resume has only gotten bigger in the past few days.
Now he can add a new title: “Secretary of Defense.” He seems to be taking a liking to it, too.
The United States men’s hockey team’s goaltender cemented his legacy on the international level on Sunday when he backstopped the Americans to their first gold medal in 46 years on Sunday. He was sharp all game long, stopping 41 of 42 shots to frustrate the Canadians time and time again.
Fans quickly dubbed him the new “Secretary of Defense” for his efforts, and on Tuesday, he embraced the name as he posed for a photo on the team’s flight from Miami to Washington, D.C., with his gold medal and a plaque bearing the Secretary of Defense seal.
Hellebuyck was one of 20 Team USA members to head to the White House on Tuesday afternoon before their expected attendance at the State of the Union.
The three-time Vezina Trophy winner with the Jets as the NHL’s top netminder has been dogged for his playoff performances, with his .903 save percentage in the postseason far below his career regular-season mark (.917).
But Hellebuyck rose to the occasion in Milan, with a 1.18 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage during the Olympic run. In the final contest, he stopped Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini on breakaways and, in the second period, made the save of his life when he reached out with his stick to stop defenseman Devon Toews from scoring a wide-open goal in the crease.
“I came into this game, probably one of the biggest of my career, and I really wasn’t that nervous,” Hellebuyck told reporters afterward.
“The second I woke up this morning, I felt I was doing everything right. … It kind of translated.”
USA blue-liner Charlie McAvoy said Hellebuyck looked a lot like the 1980 Miracle on Ice’s goaltender.
“He channeled his Jimmy Craig tonight,” McAvoy said after the win. “He was unbelievable. He had so many saves, time and time again. Like the one in the third on Toews, we’re going down the bench saying ‘That’s the one.’ The TSN Turning Point. And then he made a couple more. There were times in this game for sure when we were on our heels. It’s hockey. You need good goaltending and we got it. He’s the best player in the league, and we have him on our side.”
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