Connor Hellebuyck shines bright in gold medal game; three Jets leave Olympics with a medal
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics came to an end today with the closing ceremonies, concluding a fantastic 16 days of winter sports at the highest level. Before the closing ceremonies, Canada and USA squared off in another classic gold medal game that will go down in the hockey history books. Of the four Jets at the Olympics, one was eliminated in the quarter-finals, and the other three were in the finals. Two of them didn’t end up playing in the big game, but the one that did play was the MVP of the game, leading his team to a gold medal. Before we return to Jets hockey in three days, here’s your final update for the Jets at the Olympics.
Nino Niederreiter – Switzerland
Nino Niederreiter and Team Switzerland fell 3-2 to Finland in the quarter-finals in overtime. Switzerland led 2-0 at one point, the 2nd goal coming from Niederreiter, his only point in his 5 games at these Olympics. Finland rallied back late in the 3rd and won in overtime, leaving Switzerland with a 5th place finish. Niederreiter posted on X/Twitter after they were eliminated, thanking fans, and saying he was proud to have represented Switzerland, and that scoring his first Olympic goal was a special moment for him.
Josh Morrissey – Canada
Josh Morrissey was ruled out of the Gold Medal game in the night before the big game. Morrissey’s Olympics were cut short in Canada’s first game vs. Czechia, when Morrissey left late in the 1st period with an undisclosed lower-body injury. Morrissey was never officially ruled “out for the tournament” after his injury, which is hopefully a good sign that he can return to play for the Jets first game back on Wednesday. Morrissey leaves the Olympics with a silver medal.
Kyle Connor – USA
Kyle Connor, similar to Morrissey, had an overall unimpactful time at the Olympics. Connor played in Team USA’s first two round robin games, but was named as a “healthy scratch” for the remainder of their games. Connor finished with 0 points, and with all the talent on Team USA, there just wasn’t a way for Connor to really prove himself worthy of a spot on this well-balanced roster. Connor will still be happy in the end, as he leaves the Olympics with a gold medal.
Connor Hellebuyck – USA
The star of the show for the Jets at the Olympics was Connor Hellebuyck. In the semi-finals against Slovakia, Hellebuyck wasn’t too busy, but still had a strong performance with 22 saves on 24 shots. The gold medal game was Hellebuyck’s shining moment of the Olympics, and one of his best performances of his career. Hellebuyck made 41 saves on 42 shots, including several game-saving saves to keep USA in the game late. Jack Hughes won the game for Team USA in 3 on 3 overtime, with Hellebuyck recording a secondary assist on the goal, securing a 2-1 victory for USA, their first gold medal since 1980.
After the game was over and Hellebuyck was officially a gold medalist, there were further accolades awarded to him for his performance at the Olympics. Hellebuyck was named as the tournament’s best goaltender, and he was also named to the Olympic all-star team, as voted by the media. Quinn Hughes, who was voted as the best defenceman, said simply that “Hellebuyck was insane”. Hellebuyck finished with a perfect 5-0-0 record, an eye-popping 1.18 GAA, and a sparkling .956 SV%.
With the Olympics now in the books, the remainder of the 2025-26 NHL season resumes on Wednesday. The Jets play in Vancouver on Wednesday against the last place Canucks, followed by a stop in Anaheim against the Ducks on Friday to conclude their schedule in February. Stay tuned here at Jets Nation for all of the latest Jets news, including on the upcoming trade deadline.
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