Connor Hellebuyck Calls Team USA Title Opportunity 'Surreal' After Long Wait

It's been nine years since there was best-on-best international hockey. 

Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was still making his impression in the NHL in 2016. He's established himself as arguably the best goaltender in the world in the time since, leading to an opportunity to represent his country for the first time as an NHL professional. 

The United States will rematch its hockey rivals on Thursday in the 2024 4 Nations Face-Off championship against Team Canada following an emotionally fueled round-robin meeting on Saturday in which Team USA seized 3-1.

At 31, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner—and favorite to win it again this season—has a chance to claim national glory for the United States for the first time in his decorated career. 

“It’s one of those things that’s kind of escaped me throughout my career,” Hellebuyck said last week via The Athletic. “I had a couple of world championships, but the NHL didn’t go to the last Olympics so we missed that opportunity. And then you never know; are you going to get another shot? You’ve got to stay in your prime for when that opportunity comes.

“Being able to put that jersey on now, it’s one of those things that almost felt like it would never happen. Now that it has, it’s pretty surreal.”

Hellebuyck takes the momentum of leading the NHL in goals against average (2.07) and wins (34) and ranking second in save percentage (.925) into the title game. If he does earn the Vezina again, he would become the first netminder since all-time legend Martin Brodeur to win the award in consecutive seasons.

"He's one of the best in the world right now," New York Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick said to ESPN. "One easy way to sum that up was that we played them maybe a month or two ago and we do scouting reports on every goalie we're playing. One of the things that kept coming up is: if he sees it, he's going to stop it."