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The broader hockey community looked on in awe as Connor Hellebuyck delivered a spectacular 41-save exhibition, ending a 46-year Olympic gold-medal drought for the United States.
Within the confines of the Winnipeg Jets’ dressing room, however, they simply refer to such an outing as standard procedure.
As Hellebuyck’s colleagues gathered for practice in Winnipeg on Monday, they contemplated their netminder’s 2-1 overtime triumph against Canada in Milan, Italy, on Sunday. The predominant feeling was not one of astonishment, but rather a combination of national sorrow and quiet acknowledgment.
“We’ve been stating this for a number of years now: we consider him the finest goaltender globally,” Jets captain Adam Lowry declared.
“At times, he faces undue criticism concerning our team’s playoff performance, and I believe he stepped up and demonstrated his capacity to excel in crucial contests and secure important victories for you. Sometimes, I think we underestimate his immense skill, how effortlessly he makes the sport appear.”
For the Canadian contingent within the Jets organization, Sunday’s gold-medal final presented a peculiar dilemma regarding their allegiances. They fervently desired a win for their home nation, yet blocking that path was the very player they depend on to rescue them night after night for the Jets.
“Honestly, I was rooting for Canada. I’ll concede that. I’ve worn that jersey on three separate occasions,” remarked Jets head coach Scott Arniel, who clinched gold with Canada at the 1982 world junior championship. “Canada had numerous opportunities to equalize or clinch the game.”
“It boiled down to a single error, and it was finished. I leaped from my seat multiple times, for both sides.”
Lowry, who observed the initial two periods from his bed before anxiously relocating to his living room for the third period and overtime, echoed his coach’s conflicting allegiances.
“I wished for Helly to have an outstanding game. I wanted the score to be 1-0 for Canada,” Lowry stated. “Speaking with friends before the match, they inquired who I thought would emerge victorious, and I simply replied, ‘It’s difficult to bet against Helly. It’s difficult to bet against the top goalie in the world.'”
The pivotal moment in the game for many, including Arniel, was Hellebuyck’s desperate paddle save against Canadian defenceman Devon Toews. While this play will undoubtedly become legendary in USA hockey history, alongside recollections of the 1980 Miracle on Ice, the Jets coach had witnessed this sequence unfold several times before.
“When he executed that stick save, I thought, ‘Alright, he’s fully locked in,'” Arniel recounted. “We’ve witnessed it. Everyone in Winnipeg and Manitoba has seen this. When he performs like that, he appears to gain even more self-assurance as the game progresses. He was impenetrable.”
The admiration for Hellebuyck extended beyond North American boundaries. Jets forward Nino Niederreiter, who proudly bore the flag for Switzerland during the Games, was astounded by his teammate’s performance on the international stage.
“He played exceptionally — he was the Hellebuyck everyone recognized,” Niederreiter observed. “It was beneficial for him to be as exceptional as he was in such a crucial moment. Extremely pleased for him. Well deserved.”
While the Olympic competition provided memorable occurrences — with Arniel likening it to the emotions experienced during the 1972 Summit Series — the Jets must now swiftly redirect their focus to the ongoing NHL season’s final push.
Winnipeg is vying for a spot in the playoffs, currently trailing by 11 points for the last wild-card position in the Western Conference. The Jets have 26 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, which will be contested over a period of just 51 days.
If the Jets intend to make an immediate surge for the playoffs, it will have to be without their Olympic champion, 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 commemorate the victory, introducing a “slight complication” to their travel arrangements.
Backup netminder Eric Comrie is anticipated to start Wednesday’s away game against the Vancouver Canucks, with Hellebuyck set to reclaim his position in goal Friday, when the Jets face the Anaheim Ducks.
The Jets will also be without defenceman Josh Morrissey on Wednesday as he returns from Italy to undergo assessment by team medical staff after sustaining an unspecified injury in Canada’s initial game.
Upon Hellebuyck’s return, the Jets are hopeful his Olympic triumph will provide a much-needed boost for a team striving to accumulate consecutive victories.
“His self-assurance remains steadfast,” Lowry asserted. “To know his performance is at an elite standard on the global platform, I would expect him to carry that momentum back to us.”
