Connor Hellebuyck fires off 6-word clapback at critics after gold medal win

Connor Hellebuyck was the hero for Team USA during its 2-1 overtime win in Sunday’s gold medal game.

Entering the championship contest, Hellebuyck was cast as a player who was incapable of winning a big game, as he had failed to do so time and again throughout his illustrious playing career. However, during the Olympic final, the longtime veteran goaltender stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced from Team Canada, including two massive third-period saves that helped send his team to victory.

After the win, Hellebuyck did not mince words when delivering a fierce response to his critics.

“Let them keep writing those articles,” he said during a postgame interview with NBC Sports.

The impact of the two saves Hellebuyck made during the third cannot be understated. Particularly the stick save he made on Devon Toews, when he reached back to deny the Canadian defenseman and keep the score 1-1 with about 1 minute 30 seconds having expired in the period.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Hellebuyck of his performance in the gold medal victory. “I love this group, we’ve had so much fun over here.”

Hellebuyck, who plays with the Winnipeg Jets during the NHL season, is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy (2020, 2024, 2025), presented to the league’s top goaltender, and also won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2025. His goals against average for the 2025-26 season with Winnipeg sits at 2.79 through 36 games, while his save percentage is an even 90%.

“We grinded, we battled, things some of the best and most fun hockey I’ve ever played,” he said about Sunday’s win over the Canadians.

To put his performance on Sunday in perspective, Hellebuyck’s 41 saves broke an Olympic record for most saves recorded by a goalie in a single men’s gold medal match involving NHL players, per ESPN Insights. His performance also set a new U.S. men’s Olympic record for most saves in a single Olympic contest. The previous mark was set by Ryan Miller, who recorded 36 saves during a game at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

Hellebuyck finished the 2026 Winter Games with the top save percentage (95.62%) and goals against average (1.18) in the tournament.

It was a truly remarkable effort from the 32-year-old, one that will go down in history as one of the best ever in Olympic hockey history.