Connor Hellebuyck — connor hellebuyck's stick save dubbed 'Secretary of Defense'
Connor Hellebuyck produced one of the defining moments of the Olympics and was publicly dubbed the "Secretary of Defense" after a miraculous stick save as Team USA defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to claim Olympic gold. The 32-year-old collected 41 saves and helped keep the game tied late, forcing overtime and setting up Jack Hughes to score the winner past Jordan Binnington.
Connor Hellebuyck's key save
The most talked-about play came in the opening minutes of the second period when Canada defenseman Devon Toews crept into the slot a few feet from Hellebuyck with an apparent open net. Hellebuyck, facing toward the corner where the puck had come from, reached behind himself and somehow struck the puck with the blade of his stick. Other accounts describe him stopping a wide-open Devon Toews shot in front of the crease with only his stick, turning quickly with his right hand to keep the puck out and keep the score at 1-1.
Game sequence and scoreboard details
Team USA won the men's hockey gold medal match 2-1 in overtime at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The match took place at Santaguilia Arena and is also described in some captions as the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026, listed as day 16 or day sixteen of the Games. Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the game. Cale Makar, the Avalanche star defenseman, scored against Hellebuyck in the second period to tie the game, but Hellebuyck then made save after save following that game-tying goal to give his team a chance. The tie held through the end of the second period and throughout the third before overtime was needed. In overtime Jack Hughes ultimately scored the game-winner past Canada’s netminder Jordan Binnington.
Reactions from a former goalie
Mike Richter said he was flabbergasted by the stick save and praised Hellebuyck’s refusal to give up on the puck. Richter, who backstopped the U. S. to a best-on-best win against Canada in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, said, "I watched it like 10 times on replay, and the key is he doesn’t give up on the puck. " Richter invoked the names of Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek and Jim Craig, and added that Hellebuyck "did exactly what he had to do — he was in perfect position all night long. He wasn’t in great position for that, but then it is how much do you want it, and he wanted it. " Richter also noted that Toews "did a good job of getting that shot off" and that it "seemed like he had an open net, but not when you have a stick there so quickly. "
Teammates and opponents respond
Defenseman Charlie McAvoy said he pegged the Toews stop as the turning point in the moment, shouting down the bench, "That’s the one. " McAvoy added, "I was joking it’s the 'TSN Turning Point. ' That was the one I said, 'Remember that!' Then he made a couple of others. " Canada forward Sam Bennett said, "You have to tip your hat to their goalie — he played great. We had a lot of looks. We generated what we wanted, but sometimes the goalie steals it, and he did a great job. " At times Hellebuyck’s brilliance seemed to demoralize Canada’s players, who missed multiple opportunities and were trying to be too fine around the net. Nathan MacKinnon, the Canadian assistant captain, missed a wide-open net in the third period.
Public reaction and political endorsement
A social media account dubbed Hellebuyck the "Secretary of Defense, " and Pete Hegseth — identified in context as the United States Secretary of War who had once held the title before the agency he heads became known as the Department of War last September — endorsed that designation. Hegseth posted, "Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!" Hegseth also said the IRS news points to "what we're doing to rebuild our military. "
Multiple accounts of the event note the visual of Hellebuyck skating around the ice alone after the win with an American flag on his back as the crowd roared its approval. Photographers on site include Jared C. Tilton and Alex Wong in image credits associated with the match.
Legacy and personal reaction
The victory marked the United States’ first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980. The 1980 reference recalled Jim Craig, who was the hero in that earlier gold and who made 36 saves in an improbable 4-3 victory in 1980 — described in context as occurring "on this very day 46 years ago. " After the game Hellebuyck, age 32, said, "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. "
Jim Gray spoke about the overtime victory and Madison Scarpino reported from the event; together the various observers and participants framed Hellebuyck’s 41-save performance and the Toews stick stop as central to Team USA’s gold-medal result.
Connor Hellebuyck’s stick save, the ensuing reactions from Richter, McAvoy and Bennett, the political endorsement from Pete Hegseth, and the final 2-1 overtime score combine to make the Santaguilia / Milano Santagiulia Arena match on Feb. 22, 2026, a defining moment of Milano Cortina 2026 for Team USA.
