President Donald Trump has invited the United States men's Olympic hockey team to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday, following their dramatic 2-1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold medal game. The president made the offer during a congratulatory phone call to the team's locker room shortly after the match, praising their 'unbelievable' performance.
In a video of the call, Trump told the players they would be guests of honour at the US Capitol and suggested a White House celebration the following day. 'We could send a military plane or something. But if you would like to [attend], it's the coolest night,' he said. Trump also referenced the US women's team, who won gold on Thursday, joking he would 'probably be impeached' if they were not invited.
The US men's team secured their third Olympic title, and first since the 1980 'Miracle on Ice', thanks to Jack Hughes's overtime winner and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck's 41 saves. Trump singled out Hellebuyck, saying, 'I've got to shake hands with that goalie.'
US captain Auston Matthews acknowledged the invitation but said the team had not yet decided whether to attend, given the NHL season resumes on Wednesday. 'There's a lot of moving parts as far as our travels back home, but we'll kind of see what happens,' he said. The call was coordinated in part by FBI director Kash Patel, who attended the game in Milan.
