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Although the United States came up short in a thrilling 4 Nations Face-Off final against Team Canada on Thursday night, it was not at all the fault of defenseman Zach Werenski or goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
The pair were arguably the best at their position in the entire tournament, despite losing 3-2 in overtime at TD Garden. And one American shared high praise for another after the gut-wrenching defeat.
“He’s insane,” Werenski said of Hellebuyck, per Winnipeg Jets team reporter Jamie Thomas. “Pretty much saves everything he can see, he’s insane with the puck too. He’s making plays I’ve never seen goalies make. I would say he’s the best goaltender in the world by a lot.”
Hellebuyck was superb in the tournament; he allowed just two total goals against Canada and Finland in the round robin, while posting the best goals-against average and save percentage.
The reining Vezina Trophy winner got the night off in USA's final round robin game against Sweden, with Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger getting the nod for the meaningless contest.
Hellebuyck was back between the pipes against Canada in the thrilling championship game, and he made a couple of great saves for his country. Unfortunately for the United States, he was outdueled by Jordan Binnington, who was excellent after a bit of a shaky start to the tournament.
Still, the 31-year-old — who leads the National Hockey League with a 2.32 GAA and .925 SV% in 2024-25 — has a claim on the title of best goaltender in the world. Although Hellebuyck would love to have Connor McDavid's final shot of the tournament back, he was far and away the best netminder at the event.
But Team USA just can't find a way to have success in best-on-best international play.
United States just can't get over the hump in international hockey
It's another international tournament, another loss for USA Hockey, who now haven't won since defeating Canada in the World Cup of Hockey back in 1996. Canada beat USA in the 2010 Olympic gold medal game in Vancouver, British Columbia, and also captured gold in 2014 and at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Hellebuyck will now head back to Winnipeg to join the Jets for the stretch run. They had won eight games in a row before the 4 Nations Face-Off, and are a contender to win the President's Trophy with a sparkling 39-14-3 record.
Werenski, who was absolutely incredible in the 4 Nations as well, finished as the leading scorer. He brought his best to the world stage in the midst of the best season of his career. He's a strong contender to win the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman for the first time.
Hellebuyck will be relied on again in 2026 when National Hockey League players return to the Olympics in Milan-Cortina. The hulking goaltender did everything he could for Team USA despite the loss, and he will go down as one of the best players at his position in hockey history.
