What does it take to make 41 saves in an Olympic gold medal game and what can it teach us about leadership? In this episode of The BOBcast, recorded at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, Bob Riney sits down with Commerce Township native and USA Hockey legend Connor Hellebuyck, whose extraordinary performance in the 2026 Winter Olympics delivered America's first men's hockey gold medal since 1980. Connor opens up about the rare mental state he experienced the morning of the gold medal game, the iconic stick save that stopped Canada's best, and the deep belief in himself that shaped his entire journey from Michigan street hockey to the Olympic podium. Connor's story is more than a sports triumph; it's a reminder of the unbreakable passion, community, and pride that defines Michigan and continues to inspire the next generation of champions.
What does it take to make 41 saves in an Olympic gold medal game and what can it teach us about leadership? In this episode of The BOBcast, recorded at the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, Bob Riney sits down with Commerce Township native and USA Hockey legend Connor Hellebuyck, whose extraordinary performance in the 2026 Winter Olympics delivered America's first men's hockey gold medal since 1980. Connor opens up about the rare mental state he experienced the morning of the gold medal game, the iconic stick save that stopped Canada's best, and the deep belief in himself that shaped his entire journey from Michigan street hockey to the Olympic podium. Connor's story is more than a sports triumph; it's a reminder of the unbreakable passion, community, and pride that defines Michigan and continues to inspire the next generation of champions.
Time Stamps
Connor Hellebuyck's Journey to Olympic Glory
:33- Bob Riney introduces Connor Hellebuyck, highlighting his achievement as the best goaltender at the Winter Olympics and his Michigan roots.
1:59- Connor describes the emotions of skating out for Team USA at the Olympics for the first time, feeling adrenaline and excitement.
2:53- Connor talks about unique experience of playing in front of a mixed crowd at the Olympics, similar to college tournament games.
3:42- Connor shares the special feeling of patriotism and support from USA fans during the Olympics.
The Unique Atmosphere of the Olympics
4:00- Bob and Connor discuss the patriotism and excitement at the Olympics, which is different from an NHL game.
4:51- Connor recalls the morning of the final game, feeling confident and calm, which he attributes to his good performance and team's play.
5:27- Bob and Connor reflect on the iconic stick save in the gold medal game.
6:35- Connor reflects on being named the best goaltender at the Olympics, emphasizing the importance of celebrating with his team.
Team Dynamics and Legacy
7:03- Connor describes the chemistry and grit of the team that captured the gold medal, focusing on the team's unity rather than individual accolades.
7:28- Connor speaks to the significance of the USA winning an Olympic gold in men's hockey since.
7:58- Connor shares his realization of being in the role of a legend, similar to players he idolized growing up.
8:29- Connor talks of the experience of sharing the victory with hockey legends and the overall impact of the win.
Return to Winnipeg and Early Hockey Influences
8:51- Connor talks about the animosity from Winnipeg fans after defeating Team Canada, acknowledging the city's passion for hockey.
9:22- Connor recalls his early hockey influences, including family street hockey games and the hockey boom in Detroit.
10:09- Connor explains his transition to becoming a goalie in street hockey, influenced by his older brother.
Leadership and Future Aspirations
10:53- Connor reflects on the different forms of leadership, emphasizing the importance of confidence and hard work.
11:30- He expresses interest in coaching in the future, drawing from his experience teaching young kids at Puck Masters.
12:25- Connor advises young hockey players to truly believe in themselves and their goals, which shapes their path and work ethic.
13:15- The impact of Michigan's strong hockey culture and the passion of Michiganders for sports is highlighted.
Non-Hockey Interests and Family Support
14:24- Connor shares his hobby of bass fishing tournaments, which might surprise people given his hockey mask at the Olympics.
14:43- He talks about the importance of family support in his journey, while thanking his wife for her role in raising their kids and providing stability.
15:20- Bob praises Connor for his achievements, leadership, and representation of Michigan.
Announcer 0:00
It's over! The 46 year drought is over. USA 2, Canada 1.
Connor Hellebuyck 0:12
I'm very proud to represent USA, and as a personal dream, I don't think words can describe it.
Announcer 0:18
For the first time since the 1980 miracle, the United States takes the gold!
Bob Riney 0:27
Welcome back to The BOBcast. I'm your host, Bob Riney, President and CEO of Henry Ford Health. Today's guest is someone who has reached the absolute pinnacle of his profession, and he did it on one of the biggest stages in the world. Connor Hellebuyck became a USA hockey legend earlier this year, as his performance in goal against Team Canada in the gold medal game at the Winter Olympics will be talked about for a very long time. Team USA won that game two to one in overtime behind Connor's 41, yes you heard it right, 41 saves. His brilliance earned him the title of best goaltender at the Winter Olympics, a moment of pride not just for American hockey, but for everyone back home here in Michigan. Connor is a proud Michigander through and through, growing up in Commerce Township, Michigan, and attending Walled Lake Northern High School. From there his path took him to the NHL, where he was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets, and made his debut in 2015. He spent his entire career in Winnipeg, becoming one of the most respected and accomplished goaltenders in the league. Connor, thank you for being on The BOBcast.
Connor Hellebuyck 1:41
No problem. Glad to be here.
Bob Riney 1:45
Can you describe what the feeling is like when you skate out onto the ice for Team USA at the Olympics for the first time?
Announcer 1:53
Team USA will be led out by Connor Hellebuyck, NHL MVP in 2025.
Connor Hellebuyck 1:59
Oh, the first time, it's, you know, so many emotions going through, you have just, you're pumped with adrenaline.
Announcer 2:05
That's a good roar from the crowd as Team USA ranked number one by the International Ice Hockey Federation onto the ice.
Connor Hellebuyck 2:13
You got the butterflies in the stomach. There's just so many thoughts going through your head. I just remember going out there thinking, like, this is what I've been dreaming about for so long, and here it is, it's here right in front of me, and I was so excited.
Announcer 2:28
Jam play could not get it past the right pad of Hellebuyck. Looks like he's got a force field around that blue paint. Connor Hellebuyck having a game of his life right now for Team USA.
Bob Riney 2:42
How about the fan reaction? Tell me about experiencing that, because it's different than being in an NHL game, because there's this patriotism that surges.
Connor Hellebuyck 2:53
Yeah, it's crazy, because in an NHL game you'll have your home crowd, but the Olympics, it's whoever showed up, and USA and Canada both had a really good showing, so hearing chants and hearing the USA chant and moments of loudness in different parts of the arena kind of takes me back to college a little bit, when you're going through the tournament games, like for us, Hockey East tournament, we would have Lowell would be half the crowd and Providence one year, and Notre Dame one year, and BC, and BU, and those teams, half the crowd would, so it'd be they'd be going back and forth, so it kind of reminded me of those days where half the crowd would be screaming at moments, and then the other half would be screaming at other moments, and that's an experience in itself that it's hard to explain, but it makes you feel so connected to your country when you're seeing the flag fly up and down and everyone's leaning over the handrail with a flag in their face and just trying to get any word in your ear like the USA chant or a high five or just the flag, see the flag, you know, it's a really, really special feeling.
Bob Riney 4:00
I don't think there's any event other than the Olympics that bring this patriotism together in quite the way you see it.
Connor Hellebuyck 4:10
No, I don't think so. And I think that was one of the biggest memories I'm gonna have of the Olympics, is just seeing how many USA fans came and really supported us and really felt connected to them
Bob Riney 4:22
When we had a chance to talk yesterday, you said something that really was intriguing to me, and that's that you talked about waking up the morning of the final game, and you didn't use these words, but what you described, I kept thinking to myself, you were in the zone, you were just in a place of confidence, a place of calmness. So, is that an accurate description? And have you felt like that before, or was this something new?
Connor Hellebuyck 4:51
It's pretty accurate. It's one of those mornings where you just woke up feeling great, and every step I took, I just felt. The confidence growing, and maybe it was because I was having a good tournament, and the team was playing great in front of me, and you know, everything just felt right, but that, I mean, that morning it just, I could do no wrong, and I can't say how many times I've actually felt like that, I've had moments where I perform like that, but waking up and spending an entire day feeling like that is something that I'll probably be chasing for the rest of my professional career.
Bob Riney 5:27
Let's talk about the iconic stick save in the Gold medal game.
Announcer 5:34
Puck across, save by Hellebuyck on Sanheim, and now McDavid moving in on Hellebuyck, he dekes and is stopped.
Bob Riney 5:43
When you made that save, did you in that moment know how special it was, or was it only after you saw it in replay that it kind of really came into view?
Connor Hellebuyck 5:56
It was definitely the replay that it sunk in. I just remember the whole play developing and thinking I was all over the play, but I didn't realize once I saw the puck missed the net, I realized something had happened, and I didn't realize how precise I was. I didn't know if I got this like small piece of it or if he might have slightly missed it. I didn't realize how like perfectly lined up it was, and that's when the moment really sunk in. I was like, wow, out of my peripherals, and the half a second read that I made was spot on. And those moments don't happen that precise very often.
Bob Riney 6:35
Speaking of moments that don't happen very often, on top of everything being named the best goaltender in the Winter Olympics. You know, that puts you in the elite of the elite. What was that moment like when you heard that?
Connor Hellebuyck 6:49
Yeah, honestly, with everything else going on, it was more of the, you know, celebrating with my team.
Reporter 6:59
Connor, how would you describe the fabric of this team that captured the gold medal?
Connor Hellebuyck 7:03
Top to bottom, everyone had the chemistry, the grit, the grind, whatever it took, and that's how it was in the entire tournament.
Connor Hellebuyck 7:12
When we got back celebrating with the country, I just felt like that was so much more important, that those small accolades didn't really ever settle in, and I never thought twice about him. It was like, oh, that's cool, now let's go bring this nation together.
Al Michaels 7:28
Do you believe in miracles?!
Kurt Russell 7:28
The United States has not won an Olympic Gold in men's hockey since 1980. Yes! 46 years...
Connor Hellebuyck 7:35
My whole mind shifted towards being in the US and really seeing the impact to me, because when you're at the Olympics, and especially in Milan, we were in a bubble, and you don't really feel what's happening outside of it, and when we landed, you can really feel the magnitude of it.
Bob Riney 7:55
So, you knew this was a moment beyond hockey.
Connor Hellebuyck 7:58
Yes, because I mean, I remember growing up thinking the exact same things about the guys I idolized, Ryan Miller's big performances, Jonathan Quick's, players ahead of me that I looked up to, and for a moment there I didn't realize that now I'm in that role and I'm in those shoes, and that's what reflecting I kind of went to, because that's really cool to look back and seeing the progress of a player, and you know, watching these legends and living up to the legends, and and then after we won, we were having some of them Facetime us, and we were sharing the victory with them, and you know, just everything that went along with it was such a cool experience that it's really hard to pinpoint one spot.
Bob Riney 8:39
I can only imagine that it comes in waves. You returned to Winnipeg after the Olympics. Was there any animosity from the fans there after you took down Team Canada?
Connor Hellebuyck 8:51
Yeah, there was definitely a little bit of animosity. It's hard to say, because I've given my heart and soul to my city, and you know, I know they love me, but they take hockey very seriously, and they did not enjoy that moment.
Bob Riney 9:03
Speaking of Hockeytown, you know, you've spent your entire life in a place where hockey is a big part of our culture. Was hockey in your family blood, was it in your school blood, or was this something that you just developed an interest in based on some friendships?
Connor Hellebuyck 9:22
My parents never played hockey growing up, but my family was big Red Wings fan. We would always get together, and we play street hockey together, and we had this thing called Hellebuyck's Hockey. It's still running to this day. It's over 35 years of us getting together as a family playing street hockey, and I think that's probably where it started. And then obviously the hockey boom in Detroit was so big during that time. There's so many kids playing hockey that I remember being in the neighborhood, kids would run by our house, and we'd probably be staring out the window and see them and. Go grab our sticks and go jump in with them, so there's always a street hockey game happening everywhere. So I think that's probably what really got us into it, because there's such a, such a big movement of hockey players.
Bob Riney 10:09
So, were you the goalie in street hockey?
Connor Hellebuyck 10:12
Not at first, but when I got a little bit older, I gravitated to it quickly.
Bob Riney 10:16
What made you gravitate to goalie?
Connor Hellebuyck 10:19
You know, it's hard to say. I think it's because I have an older brother, you know, he would always shoot on me, and you know, I had just a knack for it at a young age, and I really enjoyed it, and I was good at it, so it just made me want to do it even more.
Bob Riney 10:28
I'm gonna ask you to think about what you've learned about leadership through this whole experience, what you've learned about influence, and what it has told you about what the future may hold for you?
Connor Hellebuyck 10:49
Leadership, there's so many different forms of it, that's what I've learned. There's leaders who talk a lot, there's leaders who motivate a lot, and there's leaders who just have an aura to them, and there's leaders that bring confidence just with the way they do things, and then there's leaders that show how work ethic is important and how hard work is the kind of leading by example, so you know, I've learned kind of where I've fit into those roles, and for me it's a big confidence thing. I walk in a room and make everyone feel the way you're feeling. I think that's very important, and that's something that I bring.
Bob Riney 11:26
Is there a coach role in your future that you could ever see?
Connor Hellebuyck 11:32
Definitely, my first job was at Puckmasters. I was 18, and I'm teaching these young little kids, and I really had a passion for it, especially when you get the kids that were really into it, and I could literally see myself in them at that age, and you know, it was really fun seeing some improvements over time. So, I think when I'm done with my career, I think I'm probably gonna go back and try to give what I've learned to the next generation.
Bob Riney 11:56
That's a great thought. And speaking of the next generation, what message would you have to young folks that are debating about learning the game of hockey, but they have hopes of ultimately someday becoming an NHL player? You know, people look to people like yourself, and they think you know I want to do what Connor's doing. What do you tell them?
Connor Hellebuyck 12:21
You know, I always tell them to believe in yourself, and not just, oh yeah, I want to be an NHL player, but like, truly believe that it's going to happen, and if you truly, to your heart and soul, believe that it's going to happen, the things that you do to start achieving that goal changes the output, the way you start to work and the way you start to study the game, and truly believing that you can do it shapes the path that you're going to take. I am now not going to miss a day, because I want to, that is the person I want to be, and this is how I'm going to get there.
Bob Riney 12:54
Michigan shined really bright in the Olympics, you had Jack Hughes, we had a number of skaters, and just, you know, an incredible showing in the Winter Olympics. What does that say about our great state to you?
Connor Hellebuyck 13:11
Well, I think it says it all. We do a lot of things right. We had that big hockey boom, and the passion Michiganders have is unparalleled with anything else. Any sport that you choose, and you grow up loving, like it never fades, it never dies. It's always going to be there. And then we have every sports team that you could possibly dream of. Now, with the PWHL coming to Detroit.
PWHL draft announcement 13:34
In the 2026 PWHL draft, Detroit selects goaltender from Frölunda, Andrea Brändli.
Connor Hellebuyck 13:45
It's so crucial for the kids to grow up, and you know, not only that, but the fans would be able to support it day in and day out. That really, the passion is always there, and it's what connects our communities.
Bob Riney 13:56
That's the key. It connects our communities at a time when we're getting pulled apart in so many different ways. We're all hockey fans, we're all sports fans, we're all Olympic fans. In this case, we're all Connor fans, and it comes together and it makes a big difference. You get asked all the time about hockey, so I'm going to just finish with a couple of non-hockey questions. What's a hobby or a habit that you have that's not hockey related that people would be surprised by?
Connor Hellebuyck 14:28
I do a lot of bass fishing tournaments. I don't know if you'd be surprised now, seeing my mask at the Olympics, but I'm a huge bass fisherman and do a lot of those tournaments, and have a lot of fun with it.
Bob Riney 14:39
Finally, just talk to us a little bit about what family support has meant for you along this journey.
Connor Hellebuyck 14:45
Oh, family supports everything. I mean, I can't thank my wife enough, and raising the two kids, I know it's not easy, especially when I go on road trips, and you know, I'm constantly doing. Things I love, and trying to be the best version of myself professionally, but you know, having the rock at home and taking care of the kids, and being there, and being stable for when I need to get down with some family time, you know, and just get away from it all. It's so important to really have that balance, and it's been huge for me.
Bob Riney 15:16
We really are extremely proud of not only what you've achieved in the Olympics, but how you're representing our great state and how you're demonstrating great leadership by role modeling and inspiring others. So, thank you for being on The BOBcast, and congratulations on just an epic Olympic run.
Connor Hellebuyck 15:35
Well, thank you, and thank you for the kind words, and thanks for having me.