Team USA closed out the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in dramatic fashion, edging Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to win the gold medal. The triumph ended a 46-year gold medal drought for the Americans in men’s hockey.
Now, just days after lifting the gold medal, several Team USA stars are preparing for a different kind of spotlight, a visit to President Donald Trump’s White House.
Team USA Stars Visiting the White House
Following the championship win, President Trump spoke with members of the team by phone to congratulate them. During the call, he extended an invitation to attend Tuesday night’s State of the Union address at the White House.
“You know, I tell you what… I just told my people two minutes ago, I didn’t know they’d be calling, I said we’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, I could send a military plane or something, but if you would like to, it’s the coolest night, it’s the biggest …” Trump Said.
While the invitation was celebratory, the timing presents challenges. The team was scheduled to travel from Italy to Miami before dispersing to rejoin their respective NHL clubs. The league resumes play on Wednesday with eight games on the schedule. Marking a rapid turnaround from the Olympic break.
12 players from the 25-man U.S. roster are expected to be in action Wednesday night. That includes goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and overtime hero Jack Hughes. Thursday’s schedule is even busier, with 12 NHL games involving 16 players from the U.S. roster.
Despite the tight turnaround, several players have confirmed they plan to attend the White House event. Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are expected to be there, along with Jake Sanderson, Connor Hellebuyck, and Kyle Connor. Hellebuyck’s attendance likely rules him out for Wednesday’s game.
Team USA general manager Bill Guerin, who also serves as GM of the Minnesota Wild, said he would support Wild players Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, and Brock Faber attending if they choose to go.
Ultimately, the decisions will be left to individual teams as the league will not prevent any player from accepting the invitation.
Weather could add another wrinkle, with heavy blizzard conditions affecting parts of North America. Trump addressed that concern directly, saying, “The nice thing about being President is, I can tell you, you don’t have to worry about the weather or landing. We don’t care if it’s snowing, if it’s the worst blizzard, be sailing through that snow just like you did on the ice.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. women’s team, which also defeated Canada for gold, was invited as well but has reportedly declined due to prior commitments.
As the NHL season restarts, Team USA’s gold medal celebration may continue in Washington, even if logistics make it anything but simple.
