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<\/p>\nConnor Hellebuyck has played hockey throughout the world, in too many rinks to remember, but it all started here.<\/p>\n
The public rink in Waterford Township, Lakeland Arena, where Hellebuyck would trudge with his goaltending equipment bigger than he was as a pre-teen, then fell in love with the game as a teenager and learned about the work ethic and devotion that would be needed to get to where Hellebuyck wanted to go.<\/p>\n
On a recent sunny day, Hellebuyck was bringing his son Hugh, age 4, to mini-mite practice. One generation passing to another.<\/p>\n
“I’ve never really left this rink,” said Hellebuyck, taking a quick look around, as a steady stream of parents were bringing their kids to skate. “I’ve made a lot of memories. To this day, I still feel like it’s the heart and soul of who I am.”<\/p>\n
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Commerce Township native Connor Hellebuyck stands in Lakeland Arena in Waterford Township, where he got his start playing hockey.<\/p>\n
The Commerce Township native is one of the best American goaltenders ever. A probable Hall of Famer. A goaltender who’ll be remembered for an epic 41-save performance in February’s Milano Cortina Winter Olympics gold medal game that helped Team USA to a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n “We’re going to be talking about (that) performance for generations,” Team USA teammate Matthew Tkachuk said of Hellebuyck’s gold-medal victory. “It’s going to go down as one of the best performances of all time. It has to.”<\/p>\n More: ‘Most meaningful hockey’: Larkin, Hellebuyck are Olympic Hockeytown heroes<\/a><\/p>\n Hellebuyck took an unconventional and unexpected path to the NHL. He wasn’t recruited in high school, and didn’t play the usual travel hockey circuit, playing instead with friends and classmates in Michigan high school hockey at Walled Lake Northern. He played junior hockey in Odessa, Texas \u2014 Hellebuyck’s only option at the time \u2014 and the next year, in 2012, was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets<\/a> in the fifth round, 130th overall.<\/p>\n How unlikely was Hellebuyck’s ascent? He wasn’t on NHL Central Scouting’s list of top 36 North American goaltenders eligible for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.<\/p>\n The long journey forced Hellebuyck to stay humble and driven. It has also made Hellebuyck appreciate all the special moments, such as the electric ones in Italy.<\/p>\n “I really tried to soak everything in,” Hellebuyck said. “The dorm living, those little moments meant a lot to me because you don’t really know how many chances you’ll get. I wanted to feel everything.”<\/p>\n Andrew Copp, a Red Wings forward and Ann Arbor native, played with Hellebuyck in Winnipeg and enjoyed Hellebuyck’s “delusional confidence” during practices.<\/p>\n “The puck could have gone in (the net), and he thinks there’s a hole in his glove,” Copp said. “He has a confidence and swagger about him that star players have. He’s very talented in reading the play.<\/p>\n “He’s the best goalie in the world.”<\/p>\n And fiercely proud of being from Michigan. Likely will be for a long time, too.<\/p>\n “I’m an outdoorsman, so there’s no better place to be,” Hellebuyck said. “You have all your friends and family close by. It’s home. It’s home, and I’ve built such a strong connection with this area. I’m definitely going to be a proud Michigander for life, wherever I am at.”<\/p>\n Connor Hellebuyck<\/p>\n Age:\u00a033<\/p>\n Occupation:\u00a0Goaltender, Winnipeg Jets (NHL), Team USA<\/p>\n Family:\u00a0Wife Andrea, children Hugh and Violet<\/p>\n Education: University of Massachusetts Lowell, marketing<\/p>\n Why honored:\u00a0For making a meteoric rise from unrecruited goaltender to NHL star and Olympic champion. Awarded best goaltender and Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2026 Winter Olympics; in NHL, Hart Trophy (most valuable player) in 2025, Vezina Trophy (best goaltender) in 2020, 2024, 2025.<\/p>\n Content thumbnail<\/p>\n Michiganians of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n Next: Mike Tirico<\/a><\/p>\n Mike Tirico, an adopted Michiganian who moved here in 1999, became the 13th TV play-by-play man for the Super Bowl. He did the Olympics the same day.<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/aol_usatoday_us_articles_590\/043e2cd7a48d5e6e4e2de4299e854934.jpeg\"\/)
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