Pete Hegseth and teammates hail Connor Hellebuyck after stick save in Olympic gold game

Connor Hellebuyck made a sequence of saves, including a remarkable stop with his stick on Devon Toews, that helped preserve a 1-1 game and ultimately played a central role in Team USA’s overtime victory over Canada — a win that delivered Olympic gold for the United States for the first time since 1980.

Hegseth endorses 'Secretary of Defense' label after Toews paddle save

United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth pointed to Hellebuyck’s stoppage of a wide-open Devon Toews shot — a play in which Hellebuyck reached behind himself, hit the puck with the blade of his stick and turned quickly with his right hand to stop it in the second period — and embraced a social media nickname that called the goalie the "Secretary of Defense. " Hegseth, who held that title before the agency he heads became known as the Department of War last September, wrote, "Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!"

41 saves, a 1-1 tie and Jack Hughes' overtime winner

Hellebuyck finished with 41 saves to keep the score 1-1 through the second period and the third, forcing overtime. Jack Hughes ultimately scored the game-winner past Canada's netminder Jordan Binnington, sealing a 2-1 overtime victory for the United States and ending the long gold-medal drought that dated back to 1980. Canada had multiple grade-A chances it could not convert, including an instance in the third period when assistant captain Nathan MacKinnon missed a wide-open net.

Connor Hellebuyck earns praise from Mike Richter and veteran names invoked

Former U. S. goalie Mike Richter called Hellebuyck’s work "beyond belief" after the 41-save performance in the gold medal game at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 at Santaguilia Arena in Milan. Richter said he watched the Toews stop many times on replay: "I watched it like 10 times on replay, and the key is he doesn’t give up on the puck. " He invoked past Olympic netminders Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek and Jim Craig when describing what made the save remarkable, and added, "[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. " The Americans fed off that save and Hellebuyck’s confidence throughout the game.

Teammates point to the Toews stop as the turning point

Defenseman Charlie McAvoy said he recognized the Toews play in the moment, yelling down the bench, "That's the one, " and joking that it would be remembered as the turning point; he added, "Then he made a couple of others. " Canada forward Sam Bennett acknowledged the effect Hellebuyck had on the contest: "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. "

Personal moments: a goal by Cale Makar, Hellebuyck's words and the celebration on ice

Hellebuyck, 32 years old, did allow a second-period goal to Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar, but he followed that by making repeated saves that gave his team the chance at glory. After the game he skated around the ice alone with an American flag on his back as the crowd roared. "It's a dream come true, " Hellebuyck said after the game. "We grinded, we battled, and this was some of the best and most fun hockey that I've ever played. " The decisive match was played on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Santagiulia Arena and was also described with the venue name Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy.

Broadcast and reporting voices noted the historic win

Commentators including Jim Gray discussed Team USA's overtime victory over Canada that secured the country's first Olympic men's hockey gold since 1980, while Madison Scarpino reported on the celebration and aftermath. Observers noted parallels to past American Olympic moments: when the Americans previously won Olympic gold in 1980, Jim Craig was the hero, making 36 saves in an improbable 4-3 victory on this very day 46 years ago.