President Donald Trump has invited the US men's ice hockey team to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday night after they beat Canada 2-1 in overtime to win Olympic gold. In a locker-room phone call following the match, Trump praised the team's 'unbelievable' performance and told them they would be guests of honour at the US Capitol.
The US men's team secured their first Olympic title since the 'Miracle on Ice' in 1980, with Jack Hughes scoring the overtime winner and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck making 41 saves. Trump singled out Hellebuyck, saying he wanted to shake hands with the goalie. The president also mentioned the US women's team, who won gold on Thursday, jokingly saying he would 'probably be impeached' if they were not invited.
Trump offered to arrange military transport for the players, stating they would not have to worry about weather or landing. He suggested a White House celebration would follow the address. The call was coordinated in part by FBI director Kash Patel, who watched the game from a hospitality suite and joined the locker-room celebrations.
US captain Auston Matthews confirmed the invitation but said the team had not yet decided whether to attend, given the NHL season resumes on Wednesday. Coach Mike Sullivan described the victory as an inspiration to the country, noting that many Americans held watch parties despite the early morning start time.
