Trump to award Medal of Freedom to Olympic goalie Connor Hellebuyck

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump announced during the State of the Union on Tuesday night that he will award the nation’s highest civilian honor to Michigan native Connor Hellebuyck, the Team USA men's hockey goaltender who helped lead the United States to Olympic gold. Hellebuyck recorded 41 saves in Sunday’s gold medal game against Canada, prompting the president to praise his athleticism. He will join decorated athletes such as Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali as recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Team USA attended the State of the Union and received a standing ovation. During his remarks, the president recounted a conversation he said he had with Hellebuyck after the victory. “I asked him, ‘The one shot – the one where you put your stick in the back and it hit the neck of your stick and bounced off – do you practice that or was that a little lucky?’ He refused to answer that question,” Trump joked. The team – which included several Michigan nat