Connor Hellebuyck stole the spotlight on the biggest stage.
The Winnipeg Jets goaltender delivered a masterclass performance, turning aside 41 shots to backstop the United States to a 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the gold medal game. The reigning Hart Trophy winner and three-time Vezina honouree was the difference all night, keeping the Americans within reach before Jack Hughes buried the winner in 3-on-3 overtime.
Hellebuyck even factored into the final goal, picking up the secondary assist on the play that sealed gold for the U.S.
Canada settles for silver after a game filled with missed chances — a result that will linger long after the final buzzer.
Cam & Jim open the phone lines to hear your reaction to Sunday morning’s thriller.
What stood out most — Connor Hellebuyck’s brilliance? The 3-on-3 overtime format? Nathan MacKinnon missing the net at a crucial moment? The McDavid and Celebrini breakaway? Or the failed 5-on-3 that could have changed everything?
And the biggest question of all: can Hellebuyck carry this momentum back to Winnipeg and power the Jets into the playoffs?
All that and more on today’s edition of “Jets at Noon.”
29 Comments
His value will never be higher.
What ridiculous comments on this show. The hosts need to pull their heads out and have a look around.
1. You’re not trading Hellebuyck for roster players. You’ll never get a return that equals out with just roster players. You’re not trading Hellebuyck for all draft picks. You’re trading Hellebuyck for PROSPECTS. CAN’T MISS PROSPECTS. Because prospects don’t have ‘no move’ clauses yet, and you know what you’re getting so it’s not as random as a draft pick. And the other team will trade away those prospects because they’ll be mortgaging their future to win now, just like the Jets did after 2018. So they get a goalie they can ‘win now’ with, and the Jets get hope for the future and a jumpstart on the next core. So you trade Helly for a maybe one roster player, a few can’t miss prospects and a few firsts, or some mix of those. And yes, you can trade Hellebuyck. If Gretzky can get traded, anyone can get traded.
2. The idea that the Jets can just choose not to rebuild is asinine. NO TEAM ‘chooses’ to rebuild. It’s not like Vancouver could go for a Cup right now, but they just really think their fans want 4-5 losing seasons instead. The Jets don’t have a choice. The rebuild is coming. You can pretend it isn’t, ride your current assets into the ground, and then that rebuild takes 20 years like Buffalo, or you can trade them away from something now and jumpstart it so it’s only 5ish years. But “not rebuilding” isn’t one of the options.
3. A retool isn’t possible. You have 3-4 years to make this team a winner before Scheif and Helly start to age out. The current Moose players aren’t good enough to make the team now, but within 2 years, they’re going to be good enough to win us the Cup??? We don’t have the pieces in our cupboards to ‘retool’ in time.
Yes, there’s some risk involved. But there’s also a TON of risk is not trading Helly. And if you let him rot on the vine here and get nothing for him, and he ages out so there’s nothing here AND no prospects coming up, then the team WILL be relocated. Because with your plan, you won’t be selling ‘winning’ or ‘hope’. And when you’re not winning, and there’s no hope, that’s when you get fan apathy, and that will kill the Jets.
Nobody knows what they could get for Hellebuyck until Chevy starts answering his phone and sees what teams will offer. There's nothing wrong with listening.
ABSOLUTELY!!! One good game in 3 months, now he's the best player in the league. Get rid of him. You guys are PATHETIC!!!!!!!
I’ve been an original season ticket holder. I cancelled my renewal. The rep asked why I simply said they are old, slow and boring. I’ll return once they change. I’ll support a rebuild.
One good game He's still not a goalie you can rely on him when it really really matters trade him his value will never be better see ya Bucky? He's good at times but not consistant enuf for me? He's not the best in the world he;s up there but no such think as best Mr tooth fairy!?
If they Trade him it better be at least 3 first round picks and two players who can play in the top team why not you can only win with young players
Helli is not winning a Stanley Cup in Winnipeg I guarantee you
Here’s a funny fact. In Dustin Byfuglien’s final season I was thinking they should trade him for a couple hot young guns. Don’t get me wrong I loved Buff but Not only did he not last much longer, he just quit.
Canada played good . But USA was better team based on final score
Winnipeg is a playoff team with tweaks but not Stanley cup finals team . Lot of teams are like that
His value will never be higher, picks+prospects package from Montreal or Detroit.
The question is, are the Jets currently building a replacement for Hellebuyck that will be ready in three years? If not, then you must at least consider a trade.
The Blinders you people wear are amazing! No one saw this season coming except fans who noted that the stockpiling of aging, slow Vets plus a miracle comeback story to replace significant player loss was a crap shoot.Helly had a great game – good for him! He’s been just mediocre this season and with the loss of 44 we’re done. 26 games are left and with even a 70% win rate it gets 88.4 pts with the play off line predicted for 91 pts. We need some injection of speed and youth. Finishing any higher than we are now is not going to make it even harder to acquire what we need to support 37. Sell,Sell,Sell at this deadline!!
If there are Boos for Helle it would be for going to the White House and being caught on tape amongst the US teammates laughing with Trump during his call congratulating them, when Trump said "well you know we have to invite the woman's team too..". The US woman's team turned Trump down. The men didn't. I have lost respect for Helle. Sorry. And I love him. But he needs to wake up. I hope the players wives hold them to the fire. For supporting a misogynist president.and Helle is included on that now. Sadly.
If you trade Hellebuyck your giving up on core and basically going full retool/rebuild.
It's been nice having Hellebuyck I feel people forget how it was when we had Pavelec/Hutchinson ect
It does suck he let's in 5g a game for us and stands on head Olympics We would have a cup if he stole some series. Towards the end Pavelec played himself down to the Moose.
I do support giving Milic/Divincentiis shots at backup and moving on from Comrie. Unless one of them or we draft a goalie who looks like will be a starter keep Hellebuyck. Teams who were interested in Hellebuyck before like Detroit got Gibson ig I'll try and find examples of what it would take.
1. NJ- Mercer+Nemec+1st+Allan/or Markstrom.
2.Oilers- 2 1st rounders+Savoie+Jarry+
3.Buffalo-Benson+Power+Levi+pick
4. A team I think would make it happen is Utah Vejmelka+Hayton or Crouse + prospects or 1sts they have a big cupboard of prospects and a owner who wants to win.
The US will have a strong team 2030 Hellebuyck will be 36 not likely on team. But US has Oettinger,Swayman,younger guys like Augustine,Wolf,Fowler,Knight.
Who does Canada have goalies of future? Cossa,Milic/Divincentiis,Levi,Ivankovic,George,Garand,Bjarnason.
Hellebuyck is the best goalie on the planet.
I know you guys don’t like to take the conversation in a political direction, but guess what, the Olympics have been political since at least 1936. I think team USA will regret allowing that bug- eyed weasel , Trump stooge, Kash Patel in their dressing room.
Helle is untouchable, Team Canada's forward roster was flawed!!!
I said it from day 1 when it was released and I stand by it tday, we had 1 line going and that wasn't enough to beat Helle & a good US team!!
Nobody wins every time no matter how good and deep you are, we lost fair n square, we'll rebound next time!!!
Caller Cam came in with fire and absolutely cooked 🔥
Can’t get past the fact that 2 jets are going to the White House to shake a PDFfile’s hand.
1:53….Like when you've been wrong Jim?
Saying a few years ago that the Jets had the best top 6 forwards in the NHL & then they proceeded to get eliminated 4 straight by Las Vegas & Colorado consecutive years in the 1st round.
Jim has also been touting Kyle Connor as being a 50 goal scorer which will never happen.
Admit it Jim, you're often wrong.
20:53 Very, very good core? You all keep acting like this Core has won cups. This core has won 4 playoff series. This core has won NOTHING significant. And 4 of the 5 core guys are over 30 and the other is 29, turning 30 in December.
The fact of the matter is this front office has wasted away the prime years of the best goalies in the league buy not properly building a contender in front of him. And now the window to contender has closed. Helle can still win a cup, but it will not be with this organization. Last year's trade deadline showed that they were not willing to do what it takes to put the team over the top.
And you have front office that has destroyed prospects and thinks adding more old guys to bolster this team is going to help the team win. You constantly say the Moose players aren't ready, so they don't get real opportunities to play, so no experience, and so they remain not ready. This organization NEEDS younger players. The best way to get younger players to properly re-tool/rebuild is to try and move the most valuable assets. Helle would fetch a haul. And JMo has 2 years left on his deal after this season. You all keep getting stuck in this short term like this team is not that far away. You need to think long-term so this team can compete in the future. Otherwise, this org will be left with Helle, Scheifele, Connor & Lowry all aging out and losing effectiveness, and not worth anything, and new blood in the cupboards.
I don’t wanna traitor goaltender on my team I don’t care if he plays on team USA he shouldn’t be have anything to do with Trump if he knows what’s good for him
Should have had scheifele on team canada , huge mistake, schiefele is money 3 on 3
And Rantanen did not refuse to come to Toronto. Toronto was one of the teams that he DID want to go to. The problem was that a deal for Rantanen would have required trading Mitch Marner. And Marner had a full NMC that he refused to waive, so the deal didn't get done and Rantanen went to Dallas.
Then trade them, Toth!!!! Lowry Scheifele & JMo are all over 30. And JMo has 2 years left on his deal at a discount. Teams would jump for that. Lowry is not winning us anything, and he's not tradable. No team is taking on his cap hit.
You guys continue to keep putting this core on a pedestal like they've won stuff.
He isn't winning a Stanley Cup in Loserpeg
I'm just fine with a Team USA gold medal but if MacKinnon can put the kleenex box I mean hockey puck into a gaping empty net, it would be the same old Hellebuyck. Trade him to a U.S. team, everybody will be happy.