Olympic hero Connor Hellebuyck shows off 'Secretary of Defense' plaque on flight to White House

The "Secretary of Defense" nickname seems to beryllium sticking for Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck aft helium was spotted with a saccharine plaque portion flying to Washington D.C. to conscionable President Donald Trump successful the Oval Office up of his State of the Union address. 

Hellebuyck and galore of his U.S. teammates took an Air Force level to the nation’s superior to sojourn the White House, and Dylan Larkin shared a photograph of the netminder holding a light-blue-colored plaque with a bald eagle and "Secretary of Defense" written crossed the top. 

Hellebuyck was each smiles, holding his Olympic golden medal successful beforehand of it. 

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Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States saves the changeable taken by Devon Toews #7 of Team Canada successful the 3rd play during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

After the nickname started to circulate astir societal media pursuing his incredible, 41-save show connected Sunday successful the 2-1 overtime triumph against Team Canada, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth loved it.

"Now we person a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!" Hegseth said implicit the station showing Hellebuyck’s now-iconic instrumentality prevention connected Devon Toews’ third-period changeable that would’ve breached the 1-1 necktie astatine the time. 

Hegseth held the Secretary of Defense rubric earlier the bureau became known arsenic the Department of War past September. The DOW Rapid Response X leafage saw Larkin’s station connected his Instagram Story and sent it retired to the masses arsenic well. 

"AMERICA’S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE!" the station read. 

Hegseth was 1 of galore showing American pridefulness erstwhile the U.S. took down Canada, which couldn’t capitalize connected immoderate grade-A chances connected Hellebuyck, including adjunct captain Nathan MacKinnon missing a wide-open nett successful the 3rd period. 

"It’s a imagination travel true," Hellebuyck said, via NBC, aft the game. "We grinded, we battled, and this was immoderate of the champion and astir amusive hockey that I’ve ever played."

Hellebuyck helped the U.S. marque past arsenic the archetypal squad since the 1980 "Miracle connected Ice" squad to triumph Olympic gold. Jack Hughes scored the overtime extremity to onslaught golden successful Milan, and it’s been a enactment ever since for Team USA. 

Connor Hellebuyck of Team United States observe a 2-1 triumph against Canada successful overtime for the golden medal during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

It was the aforesaid effect the U.S. women’s hockey squad had conscionable days anterior to Hughes’ goal, arsenic Megan Keller scored the game-winner against Team Canada successful overtime to triumph golden arsenic well. The women’s hockey squad declined Trump’s invitation to his State of the Union code connected Tuesday, citing scheduling conflicts owed to "academic and nonrecreational commitments."

Trump told the men's squad aft inviting them to Tuesday's State of the Union that he'd "have" to invitation the women's team, otherwise, "I astir apt would beryllium impeached." 

As the men’s hockey squad was heard laughing astatine Trump’s joke, the telephone telephone speech has since gone viral, with immoderate criticizing Trump and the squad for joking astir the women’s accomplishment. 

Members of the men’s hockey squad were successful attendance for the women’s gold-medal victory, including Hughes, who said aft his ain heroics that helium thought astir Keller’s extremity instantly aft portion celebrating with his teammates. 

U.S. pridefulness was connected afloat show successful Milan arsenic well, with Hellebuyck skating astir the crystal unsocial with an American emblem connected his back, arsenic the assemblage roared its approval. 

Larkin and Zach Werenski besides appeared on Fox News Channel’s "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday morning, hours aft the team’s Miami solemnisation astatine E11EVEN MIAMI nightclub, wherever they talked astir representing the state successful the Olympics. 

Connor Hellebuyck of United States celebrates aft defeating Canada successful the men's crystal hockey golden medal crippled during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026. (David W Cerny/Reuters via Imagn Images)

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"I deliberation a batch of america played astatine the U.S. National Team Development Program … When we were there, you get to enactment the jersey connected each time for 2 years, earlier you’re drafted. We spell done training. We’re not subject by immoderate means but they enactment america done immoderate training, and they truly instill successful you immoderate pride," Larkin explained. "Once you spell done that, you instrumentality the jersey disconnected … and each clip you instrumentality it off, for maine astatine least, I don’t cognize the adjacent clip I’m going to enactment it on."

Werenski added: "You get reminded of however large the United States of America is erstwhile you get backmost here. And we emotion representing our country, we emotion wearing those colors."

Fox News’ Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

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