Hellebuyck builds golden legacy in Team USA win, Brodeur says

NHL players are competing at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the first time they've been on this global stage for a best-on-best competition in 12 years. In order to provide an inside look at the Games experience, NHL.com has enlisted former Olympic players, coaches and those around the game to provide insight. Today: two-time Canadian gold medal-winning goalie Martin Brodeur, the NHL’s all-time leader in wins and shutouts, and now an executive with the New Jersey Devils.

In one game, as dramatic a one as you’ll find, Connor Hellebuyck changed his legacy.

Forever.

No matter what happens in his career from here on in, the Winnipeg Jets goalie finally won something from a team standpoint, that being the gold medal with Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

On this Sunday afternoon in Milan, on the grandest of stages, what a time to turn in the performance of a lifetime.

It was Jack Hughes who scored the overtime winner that gave Team USA the 2-1 victory against Team Canada and its first gold medal since the 1980 Miracle On Ice team.

It was Hellebuyck who played a huge role in getting them there, making 41 saves including breakaway stops on Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini.

And, thanks to that performance, when you look at the gold medalist goalies for Team USA in history, there’s three.

Jack McCartan, 1960.

Jim Craig, 1980.

Connor Hellebuyck, 2026.

Impressive.

Hellebuyck has won three Vezina Trophies, which go to the goalie voted as the best in the NHL, including each of the past two seasons. But there’s always been a narrative, rightly or wrongly, about his lack of team titles, including criticism that he has been far too inconsistent in moments that matter including the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

A year ago he played well enough to win in the title game at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, helping Team USA force Team Canada to overtime in a 2-2 game. After watching Team Canada’s Jordan Binnington make a handful of game-saving stops, Hellebuyck had no chance on McDavid’s winner that handed Team USA a gutting 3-2 loss.

Sunday, the roles were switched. This time it was Hellebuyck who triumphed over Binnington, although the Team Canada goalie was very good in defeat.

I'm probably the best example of how Olympic gold can change the way you are perceived.

I'd never won the Vezina until I won my first gold medal with Team Canada. I won four of them after that.

I think people see you a different way when you’re on a big stage like that and you perform. And so there's no difference for Connor. I know he's had some success before winning this, but he’d never really won, like, a major tournament or Stanley Cup or whatever.

Look, I know for a fact that it changes the way people see you. Not that they weren’t seeing him as one of the best goalies in hockey anyway.

But this puts a stamp on it.

I do think Canada was the better team all day. Hellebuyck was the difference.

Another example of how we goalies can be difference-makers when one is in “the zone.”

What is it like when you’re in “the zone” like Hellebuyck was?

When you're feeling it like that, that puck seems so big to you. You're able to pick it up out of nowhere. You're able to get in the way of it.

And the opposite is, there are times you can't get in front of it, no matter how hard you try to.

I think when you're in the zone, you just have that feeling that they won't beat you tonight. You rely on your technical skills, how good of an athlete you are, and your reads. You see the puck big. You move across when that puck’s coming in, and everybody thinks it's in, but you feel just comfortable enough to get a piece of it.

It's a fun feeling when you feel like that.

But again, the other feeling is pretty bad, too.

You could see it right away he was on his game early. Credit the Americans: They kind of blocked the middle of the ice. They didn't get many chances from the slot early on in the game. And he's so big, they're trying to get one-timers from outside the dots. And he just made it look easy. And next thing you know, he just started feeling good about himself.

Obviously later on in the game I think we had better opportunities, but I think they let him gain that confidence early. And he's good. He’s a big goalie that doesn't really move much. He stays pretty in control in his paint. He's allowed to do that because he's so big and technically sound. But you could tell right from the get-go he felt the part.

As for the two breakaways, I think his depth was really good on both. He didn't have to catch up to Connor or Celebrini. He was ahead of Connor, and Connor decided to try to open him up, getting close to him. As for Celebrini, he kind of missed the shot a little bit. I I think he wanted to go a high blocker, but you look at Hellebuyck’s positioning, he was right there too.

There were two key plays in the third period with the game tied 1-1.

The first came when Nathan MacKinnon hit the outside of the post when he had an open net. That’s hockey. I’m sure no one feels worse than he does. He regularly finishes those off. It happens. He gave the entire tournament everything he had.

Then there’s the save on Devon Toews where Hellebuyck was out of position only to reach out and make a stick save with the Team Canada defenseman staring at an open net.

Nine times out of 10, that puck goes in. So give Hellebuyck credit for coming out of his structure and doing what he had to do to make the save.

It’s an example of why a goalie should never give up on a play. I tell my son that all the time. It shows you what a competitor Hellebuyck is.

Overall, it was an amazing game, an amazing tournament.

I think the quality of play from both teams, especially Canada, was outstanding. Again, I thought they outplayed the U.S. but they faced a goalie that wouldn't be denied and made some spectacular saves. We had enough opportunities to win this hockey game, but that's what hockey is all about.

Sometimes you get goalied. I know that firsthand.

Either way, when all is said and done, it was great theater.

And in the end, I think the NHL hit a home run on Sunday.

Right now, I’m sure Hellebuyck and Team USA certainly think so.