Connor Hellebuyck’s 41-save night, stick miracle and the ‘Secretary of Defense’ moment that sealed Olympic gold
connor hellebuyck produced a 41-save performance that included a jaw-dropping stick stop on Devon Toews, preserving a 1-1 score that forced overtime and set up Jack Hughes’ game-winning goal. The performance reverberated beyond the rink: U. S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth embraced a social-media nickname for the goalie, and commentators called the night one of the defining goaltending displays of the tournament.
Connor Hellebuyck's 41 saves and the pivotal stick stop
Connor Hellebuyck finished with 41 saves in Team USA’s 2-1 overtime victory over Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Early in the second period, Canada defenseman Devon Toews — identified as #7 and noted as a Colorado Avalanche star — had what looked like an open net from a few feet away. Hellebuyck reached behind himself, used the blade of his stick and, turning quickly with his right hand, redirected the puck to deny the goal. Accounts place that stop in the second period; a photo caption in the record identifies the same play in the third period, so the exact period is unclear in the provided context.
What makes this notable is how that single split-second stop preserved the tie and sustained U. S. momentum: the score remained 1-1 through the end of the second and throughout the third, forcing the extra period that ended with Hughes’ winner. The 32-year-old goalkeeper had earlier given up a goal to Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar in the second period but responded with a string of saves after that game-tying score.
Jack Hughes' overtime winner and Jordan Binnington in net
The match ended 2-1 in favor of Team USA after Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner past Canada’s netminder Jordan Binnington. The 1-1 deadlock that Hellebuyck helped preserve carried through regulation; overtime produced the decisive strike that secured Olympic gold for the United States.
Canada had a number of prime chances in the third period that they failed to convert, including assistant captain Nathan MacKinnon missing a wide-open net — missed opportunities that became more consequential as Hellebuyck continued to rob shots.
Pete Hegseth and the 'Secretary of Defense' designation
A social-media account dubbed Hellebuyck the "Secretary of Defense, " and U. S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth endorsed that label, posting: "Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!" Hegseth previously held that title before the agency he heads became known as the Department of War last September. Hegseth was among those publicly expressing American pride after the U. S. defeated Canada for its first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980.
Reactions from Mike Richter, Charlie McAvoy and Sam Bennett
Former U. S. goalie Mike Richter said he was "flabbergasted" by the stick stop and watched it "like 10 times on replay, " praising Hellebuyck’s refusal to give up on the puck and invoking great Olympic netminders such as Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek and Jim Craig. Richter noted that Hasek was never merely lucky and added that "how much do you want it, and he wanted it, " describing Hellebuyck as being in perfect position for much of the game.
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy called the Toews stop the turning point in real time, saying he was yelling down the bench, "That's the one, " joking it was the "TSN Turning Point, " and remembering to tell teammates to recall that moment. Canada forward Sam Bennett said the visitors had "a lot of looks" but that "sometimes the goalie steals it, and he did a great job, " a view reinforced by multiple missed Canadian chances.
Richter also drew a historical line to 1980, invoking Jim Craig — the U. S. netminder of that Olympic gold team — noting Craig made 36 saves in the United States’ 4-3 victory in 1980 on this very day 46 years ago.
Santagiulia/Santaguilia Arena, Milano Cortina 2026 and postgame scenes
The gold-medal match took place at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 at Santaguilia Arena and at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026 — identified in the record as day 16 of the tournament. The play involving Devon Toews is captioned in one account as occurring at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, while live descriptions place the pivotal attempt in the second period; the timing is unclear in the provided context.
After the final horn, Hellebuyck skated alone across the ice with an American flag draped on his back as the crowd roared. He told, "It’s a dream come true. We grinded, we battled, and this was some of the best and most fun hockey that I’ve ever played. " The performance prompted broad reaction — from former players to team leaders to political figures — and left a clear imprint on the Olympic final that ended with Team USA claiming gold.
