Donald Trump with a rare gift for winter olympian
The curtain has fallen on the 2026 Winter Olympics, and Team USA is heading home with suitcases considerably heavier than when they left. After two breathless weeks in Italy, the Americans finished second in the medal table with 33 medals — 12 of them gold — trailing only a dominant Norway.
President Donald Trump wasted little time celebrating the achievement. Taking to Truth Social in typically understated fashion, he declared: “The most gold medals ever won by Team USA at the Olympics! We’re winning too much, it’s just not fair!”
Hyperbole aside, it was a Games to remember. And one performance in particular clearly caught the President’s eye.
Hockey’s Miracle, 46 Years in the Making
The headline act came on the ice. USA’s men’s hockey team stunned rivals Canada to win their first Olympic gold in 46 years. They entered the final as underdogs, faced relentless pressure throughout, and somehow found a way.
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Jack Hughes scored the overtime winner that will live on highlight reels for decades. But behind every great goal is a goaltender standing on his head — and Connor Hellebuyck did exactly that.
The 32-year-old netminder produced a masterclass, making 41 saves and even assisting on the game-winning goal. Canada threw everything at him. Hellebuyck threw it all back.
Teammate Matthew Tkachuk didn’t hold back in his praise, calling it “one of the best performances of all time,” placing it alongside legendary Olympic displays like Jimmy Craig’s in 1980. Lofty company — and not undeserved.
A Presidential Surprise
During Tuesday night’s State of the Union address, Trump revealed just how impressed he was.
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“I’ve never seen a goaltender play as well,” he said, before announcing that Hellebuyck would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the highest civilian honour in the United States.
It is an award rarely bestowed upon athletes. Trump explained he even held a vote before making the decision. “I said, ‘I’m not giving it if anybody goes no,’ and every single one of them rapidly put up their hand.”
From the locker room to the Oval Office, it seems Hellebuyck’s performance was a unanimous winner.
Information from Givemesport.
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An Elite Club
Only a handful of sporting icons have ever received the medal, including Michael Jordan, Billie Jean King, Muhammad Ali and Jesse Owens. Trump has previously awarded it to figures such as Tiger Woods, Alan Page, Roger Staubach and Babe Ruth.
Now, Connor Hellebuyck joins that rarefied list — proof that sometimes, stopping pucks can earn you a place in history far beyond the rink.
