Team USA wins gold medal in men’s hockey final vs. Canada
USAT’s Helen St. James breaks the men’s hockey gold medal game, giving the United States its first gold medal since the “Miracle on Ice” 46 years ago.
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After the Air Force drove the U.S. men’s hockey team to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the team visited the White House and posed for a photo with President Donald Trump ahead of the February 24 State of the Union address.
The visit followed a call Sunday night from President Trump inviting him to speak after his team won gold for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“At the request of the President,” the players boarded an Air Force C-32 aircraft belonging to the 89th Airlift Wing from Miami to the Maryland base on Feb. 24, the Air Force told USA TODAY in a statement.
“Supporting a mission like this requires careful planning, coordination, and a team of highly trained experts ready to take immediate action anywhere in the world. Our crews are ready to execute any mission given to us in support of our nation’s priorities,” the statement said.
Hockey players lined up in the Oval Office
Social media videos posted by administration officials showed the team visiting the White House and lining up to pose for photos in the Oval Office. After the Olympics ended on February 22nd, the team departed from Milan.
According to reports, five players from the men’s team did not visit.
The U.S. women’s hockey team was also invited to the White House, but the players declined the invitation, saying in a statement that they had other “commitments.” Trump joked in a call with the men’s team that he would “probably be impeached” if he didn’t extend a similar invitation to the women’s team.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk posted a photo to his Instagram Story of the team posing in front of a military jet on the tarmac. Another team member, Dylan Larkin, posted a photo of goalie Connor Hellebuyck holding a gold medal next to the “Secretary of Defense” insignia on the plane.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said on the same day that President Trump called him two nights ago and told him the entire team would be invited to the State of the Union address.
“Somehow we’ll get some hockey players tonight,” Johnson said.
