Jets proud of legendary goaltender Hellebuyck to be first hockey player to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 7:00 PM CST Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026

VANCOUVER – Connor Hellebuyck put his hand on his heart and from the emotional look on his face, you could tell how much it meant for the Winnipeg Jets goalie to hear he was going to be the next recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Given the current political climate that exists, the news was met with a wide variety of reactions.

After a one-on-one conversation with Jets captain Adam Lowry on Wednesday morning, it was apparent he was focusing on what the award stands for.

“As his teammate, I’m super proud for him to receive that honour,” Lowry said after the morning skate and before his team returned to action in a game against the Vancouver Canucks that was ongoing at press time.

“Looking at what it means and the implications of him representing his country, him playing one of the best games of his career and helping the U.S. men’s team win a gold medal after 46 years, to be recognized for his achievements and to be recognized for what he did and to show how meaningful that gold medal seemed to be taken by the entire U.S., it’s an incredible honour.

“He’s a true patriot and he loves the U.S.”

“To be the first hockey player recognized, he’s in incredible company, with incredible people that have done so much for their country. In talking to Helly, he’s a true patriot and he loves the U.S. He loved getting the opportunity to represent them. I’m sure he was extremely honoured.”

Hellebuyck is expected to rejoin his NHL teammates today, ahead of Friday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks as they continue a three-game road trip.

He will become the 44th sports figure to receive the award and joins a list of remarkable athletes that includes Jackie Robinson, Billie Jean King, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Yogi Berra, Simone Biles, Hank Aaron and Jack Nicklaus.

“For me, I didn’t know the history of it until I looked it up, with (40)-something athletes that have won it and those names that are on that, from Babe Ruth to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Muhammad Ali, it’s amazing,” said Jets head coach Scott Arniel. “To be the first hockey player to receive that is an amazing honour. It’s something he’s awfully proud of. When he won the Hart Trophy, that was an amazing thing. Now this is just another great accomplishment. That list of names is pretty impressive.”

Hellebuyck was singled out during the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday night as part of the celebrations for the men’s Olympic hockey team after they defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime.

Hellebuyck made 41 saves in the game in a performance for the ages, lifting Team USA to its first gold medal in men’s hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.

“I mean, it’s the highest honour a civilian can get,” said Jets left-winger Cole Koepke. “So it’s cool to see him get that kind of recognition after the game he had.

“He played a great game and he deserved to go and receive that award. We’re all supportive of him and he’ll be back when he’s back.”

“He played a great game and he deserved to go and receive that award.”

Not all observers — some of them Jets fans — have been as supportive about what has transpired since Team USA won the gold medal in Italy, whether it was the reaction to some of the viral videos that were posted or the belief from some corners that the invitation to the White House should have been turned down.

“Sometimes, it’s tough waters to navigate because generally, when you talk politics, unless you’re able to have a conversation and find some common ground, in these short snippet interviews and these small TV clips, everything can get skewed and almost picked apart to fit the narrative that the person is trying to have,” said Lowry. “Whereas, if you’re sitting across from somebody, you can have a 30- or 40-minute conversation and you’re able to articulate how you feel and really able to see the sides each party is coming from. Then you have context, you have nuance and you’re able to reach some common ground.

“It is, and rightfully so, a very divisive subject. People that disagree on both sides and certain things that both sides would agree are unacceptable things we can’t stand for.”

Jets left-winger Kyle Connor was one of five American players who chose to skip the festivities so they could return to their respective NHL teams.

Arniel reiterated earlier this week that the plan was always for Eric Comrie to start the first game coming out of the break, so Hellebuyck didn’t need to rush back to Vancouver to serve as the backup.

Comrie also started the first game after the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.

“This is exactly like last year,” said Arniel. “We had talked about this. We didn’t know the White House part of it was coming, coming into it. But at the end of the day, he wasn’t playing (on Wednesday). (Comrie) was playing all along. (Hellebuyck) is going to meet us in Anaheim and then we’ll go from there.”

It can be difficult for players to go from rivals during the Olympics to resuming life as teammates, especially right before the most important stretch of the season.

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“All of a sudden, you’re butting heads and then you’re turning around and sticking up for each other, making passes to each other,” said Arniel. “That shines a light on how big the Olympics are and how much it means to everybody in their country. To represent your country and to put that jersey on. You’re going to do anything it takes to win those games. When you come back here, it’s a different mindset. Now, it’s ‘OK, these are my brothers here and they’re going to help me win a Stanley Cup.’ It’s pretty cool.”

Arniel doesn’t believe he faces any additional challenges as a coach, given the politically-charged atmosphere of the present day.

“I know we have Americans, Canadians, Europeans. At the end of the day, that’s a different business. It’s (a road) we don’t even go down,” he said. “We’re in the entertainment business and we’re also in the results-driven business and winning hockey games. So that’s our focus. Our team has always been that way. We’ve got good leadership.

“That (other stuff) doesn’t come into our room. What’s on the line right now for us is a playoff spot and that’s our focus.”

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Ken Wiebe
Reporter

Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.

Every piece of reporting Ken produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.