The rest of the hockey world marvelled as Connor Hellebuyck put on a 41-save clinic to snap a 46-year Olympic gold-medal drought for the United States.
Inside the Winnipeg Jets’ locker room, though, they just call that a typical night at the office.
As Hellebuyck’s teammates gathered for practice in Winnipeg on Monday, they reflected on their goaltender’s 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in Milan, Italy on Sunday. The overriding sentiment was not shock, but rather a mixture of national heartbreak and quiet validation.
“We’ve been saying this for a few years now: We think he’s the best goalie in the world,” Jets captain Adam Lowry said.
“Sometimes he gets unfairly criticized for our team’s performance in the playoffs, and I think he went out and showed that he can show up in big games and can win you big games. Sometimes, I think we take it for granted how great he is, how easy he makes the game look.”
For the Canadian contingent on the Jets, Sunday’s gold-medal final presented a unique challenge when it came to where their loyalties lay. They desperately wanted their home country to win, but standing in the way of that was the same player they rely on to bail them out on a nightly basis with the Jets.
“Honestly, I’m cheering for Canada. I’ll admit that. I’ve had that jersey on three times,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who won gold with Canada at the 1982 world junior championship. “Canada had all kind of chances to tie it up or to win the thing.
“It came down to one mistake, and it was over. I came out of my chair a few times, both ways.”
Lowry, who watched the first two periods from bed before anxiously moving to his living room for the third period and overtime, echoed his coach’s divided interests.
“I wanted Helly to have a great game. I wanted it to be 1-0 Canada,” Lowry said. “Talking to buddies before the game, they were asking me who I thought was going to win and I just said, `It’s tough to bet against Helly. It’s tough to bet against the best goalie in the world.”‘
The turning point in the game for many, including Arniel, was Hellebuyck’s desperation paddle save on Canadian defenceman Devon Toews. While it’s a play that will certainly go down in USA hockey lore, alongside those memories of the 1980 Miracle on Ice, the Jets coach had seen that sequence play out a few times before.
“When he made that stick save, I’m like, `OK, he’s getting dialled in,”‘ Arniel said. “We’ve seen it. Everyone in Winnipeg and Manitoba has seen this. When he gets on like that, he almost gains more confidence as the game goes. He was a wall.”
The appreciation for Hellebuyck extended beyond North American borders. Jets forward Nino Niederreiter, who carried the flag for Switzerland during the Games, was amazed by how his teammate performed on the international stage.
“He stood on his head — he was the Hellebuyck everyone knew,” Niederreiter said. “It was good for him to be as great as he was in a big moment like that. Super happy for him. Well deserved.”
While the Olympic tournament provided unforgettable moments — with Arniel comparing it to the emotions felt during the 1972 Summit Series — the Jets must now quickly pivot back to the reality of the NHL’s stretch run.
Winnipeg is fighting for a playoff berth, currently 11 points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Jets have 26 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, which will be played over a stretch of just 51 days.
If the Jets are to make an immediate push for the playoffs, it will have to be without their Olympic hero, at least for a few days. Arniel confirmed Hellebuyck and American teammate Kyle Connor are scheduled to visit the White House on Tuesday evening to celebrate the victory, throwing a “bit of a wrinkle” into their travel plans.
Backup goalie Eric Comrie is expected to start Wednesday’s road game against the Vancouver Canucks, with Hellebuyck slated to return to the crease Friday, when the Jets visit the Anaheim Ducks.
The Jets will also be without defenceman Josh Morrissey Wednesday as he returns from Italy to be evaluated by team doctors after suffering an undisclosed injury in Canada’s opening game.
When Hellebuyck returns, the Jets are hoping his Olympic high will provide a much-needed spark for a team trying to string together wins.
“The confidence that he has in himself doesn’t waver,” Lowry said. “To know his game is at an elite level at the world stage, I’d expect he can carry that over coming back to us.”
