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Hegseth Crowns Team USA Goalie ‘Secretary of Defense’

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Photo Credit: Atos International, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Team USA stormed past Canada in overtime to win Olympic gold for the first time in 46 years, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had a new title ready for the hero in net.

Jack Hughes buried the game-winner in overtime, sealing a 2-1 victory and delivering America’s first men’s Olympic hockey gold since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

The win capped a gritty performance defined by goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who turned aside 41 shots to keep the Americans alive.

One save in particular flipped the game. Devon Toews found himself wide open in the second period with the score tied 1-1.

Hellebuyck reacted with his stick, whipping his paddle across the goal mouth to block the puck and preserve the tie. Without that stop, the gold medal likely heads north.

A social media account quickly called Hellebuyck the “Secretary of Defense.”

Hegseth, who had that title before the agency was renamed the Department of War last fall, embraced it.

“Now we have a Secretary of War…and a Secretary of Defense!” Hegseth wrote over a post celebrating Hellebuyck’.

Canada broke through earlier in the second period when Cale Makar slipped a puck past Hellebuyck to knot the game.

The American goalie responded with a wall of saves across the remainder of regulation, forcing overtime and setting the stage for Hughes.

“It’s a dream come true,” Hellebuyck said via NBC. “We grinded, we battled, and this was some of the best and most fun hockey that I’ve ever played.”

Hughes delivered the decisive moment, beating Canada’s Jordan Binnington in overtime and igniting a celebration that rippled across the ice.

Moments later, a teary-eyed Hughes turned his focus to the flag on his chest.

“This is all about our country right now,” Hughes said. “I love the U.S.A. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable.”

“The U.S.A. hockey brotherhood is so strong, and we had so much support from ex-players. I’m so proud to be American today.”

Hughes played through pain to get there. The New Jersey Devils star lost teeth and was bloodied after taking a stick to the face in the third period, drawing a Canadian penalty that shifted momentum.

“Unbelievable game by Hellebuyck,” Hughes added. “He was our best player tonight by a mile.”

“Unbelievable game. Unreal game by our team. It’s just a ballsy, gutsy win. That’s American hockey right there. That’s a great Canadian team, but we’re USA. We’re so proud to be American. Tonight was all for the country.”

After the final horn, Hellebuyck skated alone with an American flag draped across his back as the crowd roared.

President Donald Trump quickly joined the celebration. “Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!” adding, “LOTS OF WINNING!!!”

The president later phoned the team to offer congratulations and reportedly invited the players to attend his State of the Union address.

“He just spoke to the group expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everybody on the win,” coach Mike Sullivan revealed.

“Obviously this game in a lot of ways was an inspiration to our country.”

“I can’t tell you how many texts I’ve received over the last day or so about watch parties at eight in the morning,” he noted.

“I think from a viewership standpoint in the United States, there were a lot of people paying attention, the president included.”

Captain Auston Matthews echoed that pride. “We’re all proud Americans, obviously,” Matthews said.

“This is a huge moment for us. A huge moment for the United States. He called, just congratulated us.”

Matthews hinted that a White House visit could be in the works. “I think there’s a lot of moving parts as far as our travels back home. We’ll see what happens,” he continued.

“It’s an honor to wear this jersey and to represent the US. To go home with a gold medal. You know how much that means to guys in this room, to people watching and rooting us on too.”

The locker room celebration drew attention of its own. FBI Director Kash Patel appeared in a viral video chugging beer and celebrating alongside players.

The footage showed him spraying a bottle and pounding a table before a gold medal was draped around his neck.

Patel had traveled to Italy earlier in the week on a government jet, a trip estimated to cost up to $75,000.

Critics questioned the optics, though the FBI insisted the travel was official.

“It is not a personal trip,” an FBI spokesperson said, noting Patel had meetings with ambassadors, Italian law enforcement and U.S. agents stationed overseas and that the bureau plays a role in Olympic security.

Patel later addressed the backlash online. “For the very concerned media – yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth,” he wrote.

Earlier he had posted: “Unity, Sacrifice, Attitude- what it takes to be the best in the world.”

“These men live and breathe it. Now Team USA are gold medal champions, legends standing on the shoulders of giants. Thank you for representing the greatest country on earth, in the greatest game ever created.”

Patel, who plays in a hockey league in Virginia and has coached youth hockey, also attended Team USA’s 6-2 victory over Slovakia earlier in the tournament.

The men were not alone in bringing hardware home. The U.S. women’s hockey team also defeated Canada in overtime in the final, winning 2-1 and capturing gold in a mirror-image thriller.

The Milan Cortina Games closed with the United States earning 33 total medals, including a record 12 golds in the Winter Olympics.

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