Gonna be getting another medal soon.
During his State of the Union address tonight, President Donald Trump announced that he would be awarding Team USA goalie Connor Hellebuyck with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Hellebuyck cemented his status as a legend in American sports history on Sunday when he played an absolutely incredible game against Team Canada to help the Americans bring home the gold medal for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Hellebuyck, who is (ironically) the goalie for the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL, allowed Canada to score only one goal in 42 shots on net, including fending off a 5-on-3 in the second period after Team USA had two players sent to the penalty box in quick succession.
There was also this mindblowing save from Hellebuyck on what looked to be a wide open shot for Canada:
When Trump spoke with the team immediately after the game, he couldn’t hide his admiration for Hellebuyck’s performance:
“By the way, your goalie played not bad. I have seen hockey goalies have slightly worse games than him. It was unbelievable, and you were all unbelievable. …
I’m gonna shake hands with everybody, but I gotta shake hands with that goalie.”
Of course the team was in Washington DC tonight to be honored during the State of the Union address, and Trump revealed that the entire team had voted on the honor for their goalie during their meeting in the Oval Office this afternoon:
“I just want to tell you that the members of this great hockey squad will be very happy to hear, based on their vote and my vote – and in this case my vote was more important – that I will soon be presenting Connor with our highest civilian honor, which has been given to many athletes over the years. When I say many, not too many. Like, 12. It’s called the highest civilian honor in our country, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
Trump said that he told the team he wouldn’t be awarding the medal if they didn’t all agree:
“I did take a vote … every single one of them rapidly put up their hand.”
Well deserved.
It looks like the team has had a heck of a day in Washington today. Things got started when President Donald Trump sent a government plane to pick them up in Miami:
And it looks like the plane, one of the aircraft generally used as Air Force Two for Vice President JD Vance, was fully stocked for their arrival, with the boys downing beers while en route to Washington and goalie Connor Hellebuyck even showing off a medallion with his new honorary title as Secretary of Defense.
What a scene.
After landing at Joint Base Andrews and heading to the White House, the team posted for a quick group photo on the front lawn:
Then they headed into the Oval Office to meet with the president – as “Free Bird” blasted throughout the White House colonnade.
Once they got into the Oval Office, Matthew Tkachuk even let President Trump try on his gold medal – joking that he was willing to trade it for a presidential pen when Trump informed him that he wouldn’t be giving the medal back:
I mean, how can you not love this team?
