Presidential Medal Of Freedom: Connor Hellebuyck to receive presidential medal of freedom after Olympic gold
Connor Hellebuyck will receive the presidential medal of freedom after starring for Team USA at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, a recognition that arrived as President Donald Trump welcomed the men's hockey team to the State of the Union days after the gold-medal win. Hellebuyck, 32, finished the Olympic tournament having stopped 95. 6% of shots on goal (131 of 137) in five games.
Presidential Medal Of Freedom and the State of the Union visit
President Donald Trump welcomed Team USA men's hockey to the State of the Union address days after the team won Olympic gold, and Hellebuyck is set to receive the Presidential Medal Of Freedom as part of the high-profile recognition. The timing linked the award to the team's return from Milan, where the United States secured its first Olympic gold medal in men's hockey since 1980.
Gold-medal game details: 41 saves, stick-behind-back and a 2-1 overtime win
Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the gold-medal game, including one with his stick behind his back, helping the United States beat Canada 2-1 in overtime for the gold medal. That match took place on Feb. 22, 2026, on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy.
He also denied a shot taken by Devon Toews of Team Canada in the third period during the same match, a sequence that underscored his tournament-long run of form.
How Hellebuyck rose: UMass Amherst, the 2012 draft and early milestones
Hellebuyck was not a marquee prospect early on but made a name for himself at UMass Amherst. He was a fourth-round pick by the Winnipeg Jets, 130th overall in 2012, and spent two seasons in college, winning the Hockey East Conference both times. He made the Frozen Four in his freshman year and was named the top college goalie in his sophomore season.
He made his NHL debut on Nov. 27, 2015, won his first four NHL games and recorded a shutout in just his ninth appearance.
NHL peak and international résumé: Vezina, Hart and prior U. S. appearances
Hellebuyck broke out in his third NHL season, leading the league with 44 wins and earning his first All-Star nod while finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting before taking home the Vezina two years later. He is now the back-to-back reigning Vezina Trophy winner and one of just 13 goalies in NHL history to win the award three or more times. He also is the reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner as the NHL's Most Valuable Player.
Internationally, the Olympics were not Hellebuyck's first U. S. appearances: he was on the U. S. team in the 4 Nations and played in the men's world championships in both 2015 and 2017.
Playoff history and statistical contrasts
Regular-season success has come at the expense of playoff progress. After making the Western Conference Finals in his breakout 2017-18 campaign, Hellebuyck and the Jets have not been able to get past the second round. He is 24-34 lifetime in the playoffs, with a playoff save percentage of. 903, down from. 917 in the regular season.
Stat lines cited for his goals-against average include a 2. 79 GAA, a 2. 55 mark in the regular season since 2017 and a 2. 90 GAA in the playoffs. In the Olympics, across five games, he stopped 95. 6% of shots on goal (131 of 137) and allowed more than one goal just once.
