Connor Hellebuyck came up huge for Team USA, making 41 saves in the gold medal game. Now, fans are praising the goaltender and even Team Canada fans cheered for Hellebuyck after the game.
Hellebuyck has won the Vezina Trophy three times during his eleven years in the NHL, but he has also been criticized for his playoff performances — up until Sunday.
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Connor Helleuyck Olympic MVP
When it mattered most, in the Olympic gold medal game, Hellebuyck proved himself as a true big-game player. Team Canada generated several excellent scoring chances, but he delivered a series of unbelievable saves — including an already-iconic stop on Devon Toews with a wide-open net. After Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner, Hellebuyck was named the tournament’s top goaltender.
Cheered by Canadian fans
During the medal ceremony, he received the loudest cheers — alongside Hughes — from the crowd in Milan. Even the Canadian fans cheered for Connor Hellebuyck. Online, fans are also showering the 32-year-old with praise.
“Legendary performance from Connor Hellebuyck,” hockey personality Paul Bissonnette wrote on X.
“Connor Hellebuyck deserves a cold one on the house in all 25 U.S. stadiums,” another fan joked.
”As a Canadian, I gotta give props to Connor Hellebuyck. If it weren’t for him, that game wouldn’t have even gone to overtime,” a third fan added.
READ MORE: Team USA wins the Olympic gold medal
