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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHASSAN AMMAR \/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS <\/p>\n
Connor Hellebuyck celebrates after the U.S.A. men’s ice hockey team won the gold medal game against Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, last month. (AP Photo\/)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy. Politics are crazy. But we\u2019re hockey players. And we\u2019re there representing our country and playing hockey, and making the country proud. So who cares about all that,\u201d a fiery Hellebuyck said Friday as he was made available to Winnipeg media for the first time since returning from Italy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were there to have fun and play hockey and we did that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hellebuyck and his teammates were caught on camera laughing when Trump seemingly took a shot at the women\u2019s team, which also won gold by beating Canada in overtime, by saying he should probably invite them to Washington or face being impeached. Among critics were U.S. captain Hilary Knight, who called the whole thing \u201cdistasteful.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Free Press asked Hellebuyck if he has any regrets for how he handled that situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess that\u2019s what everyone really wants to write about, right?\u201d he replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were close with the girls\u2019 team. We had a blast with them. We celebrated hard with them. No one was more proud of them than us. If that\u2019s not enough for everyone to be happy, then I don\u2019t know what is. I don\u2019t know how many of those people have been watching their games or even tuned into their gold medal (game). But we were there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does Hellebuyck feel like he and his teammates were used by Trump and company as political pawns, as many critics have suggested?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s probably a better question for guys that are on social media and kind of felt the brunt of it. But the blowback that my wife (Andrea) was getting is just not fair. I don\u2019t understand how she can take so much heat for just being with me as a hockey player,\u201d said Hellebuyck.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve done nothing wrong, she\u2019s done nothing wrong, my kids have done nothing wrong and everyone in my family is happy. So, I\u2019m just going to continue living and moving on with my life and let that just fizzle out, because it always will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE SUDOMA \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck spoke with the media for the first time since returning from the Olympics on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n There was plenty of chatter on social media in the days that followed suggesting Hellebuyck might have worn out his welcome in Winnipeg and perhaps might even be greeted by jeers in his first game back, which happened last Tuesday night.<\/p>\n The reality turned out to be much different for the Michigan product, who is the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner in the NHL.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just goes back to I\u2019m a hockey player. I didn\u2019t get booed when I got back. That shows a lot from our fan base. The majority of the conversations I\u2019ve had with people since being back have been, \u2018You beat our team, but we\u2019re so happy for you.\u2019 And that\u2019s kind of what I would expect,\u201d said Hellebuyck.<\/p>\n \u201cThis fan base and I have grown so close over the years, and we\u2019ve done so many great things together, they know that I\u2019m doing everything that I can for them. And when I achieve some personal things along the way, it doesn\u2019t have to just be, \u2018Oh, look what you did.\u2019 It\u2019s, \u2018We got to experience this all together.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Hellebuyck was certainly not going to apologize for receiving his nation\u2019s highest civilian honour. He joins the likes of Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and about 40 other athletes to have received the distinction from various presidents over the years.<\/p>\n \u201cThese moments are really going to make a lifetime and a career for me. And receiving that highest honour is something I\u2019ll be so proud of,\u201d said Hellebuyck.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd as I get older I can show my kids this is where I was and this is what we achieved. And then I\u2019m coming back here and I want to bring that same joy here, and I think everyone understands that. I think that\u2019s why I didn\u2019t get booed and I still got cheered. They know that I still care about the city and I want them to feel exactly how I just felt.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Which brings us to the present. Hellebuyck is now hoping to carry the momentum from Milan into the stretch drive for the Jets, who head into action on Saturday night against Vancouver seven points back of the final Western Conference wild-card spot, which is held by Seattle. Both teams have 21 games left.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been getting some points, winning some games, so it\u2019s been fun,\u201d said Hellebuyck, who stopped 26 shots in Thursday\u2019s 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning which gives Winnipeg points in all five games (3-0-2) since the Olympic break.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re at the Olympics, you\u2019re kind of in a bubble. You really don\u2019t see what\u2019s going on in the outside world and the impact it\u2019s having. But as it ended and time wore on, you could see the impact it was making. I felt very connected to my country. And then coming back here, I would love to bring that joy here. And I think that\u2019s now my next goal, is make everyone here enjoy that same 72 hours that I had.\u201d<\/p>\n Jets head coach Scott Arniel is banking on it while also applauding his MVP for the way he\u2019s handled the past couple weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cIt got real personal, not just with him, but with his family, with his wife. And that\u2019s the stuff that\u2019s out of bounds for me, and that\u2019s the part that really, really, really upset him. I think he\u2019s handled it well,\u201d said Arniel.<\/p>\n \u201cWe saw the reception the other night when he started the first game back. And I think that everybody in this city, in this province, deep down, that they know what he\u2019s done and what he means to us, our ultimate goal is to still win the Stanley Cup. And we\u2019re winning it with Connor Hellebuyck, that\u2019s the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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