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The “Secretary of Defense” nickname seems to be sticking for Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck after he was spotted with a sweet plaque while flying to Washington D.C. to meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office ahead of his State of the Union address.
Hellebuyck and many of his U.S. teammates took an Air Force plane to the nation’s capital to visit the White House, and Dylan Larkin shared a photo of the netminder holding a light-blue-colored plaque with a bald eagle and “Secretary of Defense” written across the top.
Hellebuyck was all smiles, holding his Olympic gold medal in front of it.
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Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States saves the shot taken by Devon Toews #7 of Team Canada in the third period during the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
After the nickname started to circulate around social media following his incredible, 41-save performance on Sunday in the 2-1 overtime victory against Team Canada, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth loved it.
“Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!” Hegseth said over the post showing Hellebuyck’s now-iconic stick save on Devon Toews’ third-period shot that would’ve broken the 1-1 tie at the time.
Hegseth held the Secretary of Defense title before the agency became known as the Department of War last September. The DOW Rapid Response X page saw Larkin’s post on his Instagram Story and sent it out to the masses as well.
“AMERICA’S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE!” the post read.
Hegseth was one of many showing American pride when the U.S. took down Canada, which couldn’t capitalize on some grade-A chances on Hellebuyck, including assistant captain Nathan MacKinnon missing a wide-open net in the third period.
“It’s a dream come true,” Hellebuyck said, via NBC, after the game. “We grinded, we battled, and this was some of the best and most fun hockey that I’ve ever played.”
Hellebuyck helped the U.S. make history as the first team since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” squad to win Olympic gold. Jack Hughes scored the overtime goal to strike gold in Milan, and it’s been a party ever since for Team USA.
Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States celebrate a 2-1 victory against Canada in overtime for the gold medal during the Men’s Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States on day 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
It was the same result the U.S. women’s hockey team had just days prior to Hughes’ goal, as Megan Keller scored the game-winner against Team Canada in overtime to win gold as well. The women’s hockey team declined Trump’s invitation to his State of the Union address on Tuesday, citing scheduling conflicts due to “academic and professional commitments.”
Trump told the men’s team after inviting them to Tuesday’s State of the Union that he’d “have” to invite the women’s team, otherwise, “I probably would be impeached.”
As the men’s hockey team was heard laughing at Trump’s joke, the phone call exchange has since gone viral, with some criticizing Trump and the team for joking about the women’s accomplishment.
Members of the men’s hockey team were in attendance for the women’s gold-medal victory, including Hughes, who said after his own heroics that he thought about Keller’s goal immediately after while celebrating with his teammates.
U.S. pride was on full display in Milan as well, with Hellebuyck skating around the ice alone with an American flag on his back, as the crowd roared its approval.
Larkin and Zach Werenski also appeared on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday morning, hours after the team’s Miami celebration at E11EVEN MIAMI nightclub, where they talked about representing the country in the Olympics.
Connor Hellebuyck of United States celebrates after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026. (David W Cerny/Reuters via Imagn Images)
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“I think a lot of us played at the U.S. National Team Development Program … When we were there, you get to put the jersey on every day for two years, before you’re drafted. We go through training. We’re not military by any means but they put us through some training, and they really instill in you some pride,” Larkin explained. “Once you go through that, you take the jersey off … and every time you take it off, for me at least, I don’t know the next time I’m going to put it on.”
Werenski added: “You get reminded of how great the United States of America is when you get back here. And we love representing our country, we love wearing those colors.”
Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.
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