🏒🇺🇸 NEW “DEFENSE SECRETARY”: Hellebuyck Gets a Playful Title After Olympic Gold

Following Team USA’s thrilling victory over Canada in the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game, a lighthearted moment off the ice quickly caught fans’ attention.

After the win, Pete Hegseth jokingly passed along his self-styled “Secretary of War” moniker to star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck — dubbing him the team’s new “Secretary of Defense.”

“Now we have a Secretary of War… and a Secretary of Defense!” Hegseth wrote in a celebratory post praising Hellebuyck’s standout performance in net.

Hellebuyck was instrumental in securing the gold medal, delivering clutch saves under relentless pressure from Canada’s offense. His composure and quick reflexes preserved Team USA’s lead in critical moments, anchoring a defensive effort that will be remembered as one of the program’s finest on the Olympic stage.

The playful exchange added a dose of humor to an already historic night, as the United States captured its first Olympic men’s hockey gold since the iconic 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

For fans, the nickname felt fitting. On a night when defense ruled the ice, Hellebuyck stood tall — guarding the net and, as some joked, the nation’s hockey pride.