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Team USA's men's hockey team at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Credit: Elsa/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Several members of Team USA's men's hockey league are speaking out about their invitation to attend Donald Trump's State of the Union after winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The invitation sparked controversy after the president laughed about inviting the women's hockey team to attend the State of the Union address alongside their male counterparts
- Jeremy Swayman, one of the players on Team USA, said that he and his teammates should have "reacted differently" in the moment
Members of the U.S. men's hockey team are addressing their decision to accept Donald Trump's invitation to Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, 20 members of the team visited the White House and watched the president deliver his annual State of the Union address. They made the trip barely 48 hours after winning the team's first gold medal since 1980 on Sunday, Feb. 22, during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
While five members of the team opted out of attending, the event sparked controversy before the athletes even arrived because of the manner in which they were invited. The president phoned in to speak with the team as they were celebrating their historic win in the locker room shortly after the game.
He sounded thrilled while telling the men that he would fly them in. However, he delivered what many felt was a backhanded comment when he offered an invitation to the women's team, who won their third Olympic gold medal on Thursday, Feb. 19.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” Trump, 79, told the men with a chuckle as many of them laughed along with him. “You do know that. I do believe I’d probably would be impeached [if the women’s team wasn’t invited].”
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Jeremy Swayman at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 22, 2026
Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty
Some perceived the interaction as a diss toward the women's team, and critics have been outspoken in their response. The female gold medal team declined the invitation.
Reflecting on the incident a few days later, 27-year-old Jeremy Swayman, a goalie for the Boston Bruins who traveled to Italy with Team USA, acknowledged that he and his teammates should have "reacted differently."
The gold medalist described the invitation as "an incredible honor," telling reporters, "We all were there to represent our country, celebrate a gold medal for the United States. And that was something that we really embodied, and we're really grateful to be a part of."
Swayman reflected on the moment that they spoke with Trump, insisting that they hadn't forgotten their female counterparts.
“We know that we are so excited for the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team," he said. "To share that gold medal with them is something we’re forever grateful for. Now that we're home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA in sharing this incredible gold medal. ”
Jake Oettinger, a 27-year-old goalie for the Dallas Stars and fellow Team USA athlete, is one of the few teammates who did not accept the invitation.
In an interview after his team's Olympic win, he described the invitation to the White House as "a tremendous honor."
In explaining his decision to miss the event, he said, "I think, you know, for me, I have been basically living in Italy for a month. I have a huge stretch run. I wasn't playing much. I wanted to come back and get my game ready to go."
The Dallas Stars have a game against the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
Oettinger added that he had a 3-month-old baby that he wanted to take home.
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Members of Team USA's men's hockey team attend the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Credit: Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty
On the topic of the women's team, he said, "You know, my opinion on that is, there's no one that supports women's hockey more than me. I know a lot of those girls personally, and I think if you would have been at the bar watching the game with me where I was, watching women's hockey, there was no one as excited as me when they won the gold medal. So they're incredible, and they deserve all the credit in the world. They're dominant. And I was just so happy for those girls."
He continued, saying, "And to get to know a few of them personally made it that much cooler. So, yeah, it was pretty cool, and the fact that the men and the women both have the gold medal right now is pretty cool."
Kyle Connor, a 29-year-old player for the Winnipeg Jets, also skipped the State of the Union to get ready for his team's Wednesday game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Speaking to The Athletic a day prior, he said he "[didn't] really have any thoughts" about the call with Trump.
"There’s so many things happening,” Connor said. “We just won the gold medal and things are going on so I don’t really remember what he said. It’s such a whirlwind, just celebrating.”
Brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes also commented on the controversy stirred up by Trump's call. Speaking to the Daily Mail, Jack, a 24-year-old player for the New Jersey Devils, responded to the "backlash."
"Everything is so political. We're athletes," he said. "We're so proud to represent the U.S. and we get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president. You know, we're proud to be Americans."
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Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Brady Tkachuk and Auston Matthews of Team USA's men's hockey team celebrate their win
Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty
"No matter what your views are, we're super excited to go," he added.
On the topic of the women's team, he said, "I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them and how proud we are of them."
Minnesota Wild player Quinn, 26, addressed the invite while calling into Good Morning America the day of the trip.
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“Yeah, we're excited to go. It's something you don't get to do every Tuesday. It's going to be special for us, but I'm glad you mentioned the women's team again. We're really happy for them,” he reflected.
Quinn added that the two teams have "done a lot of training" together, which meant that they knew "a lot of those girls very well."
While delivering his State of the Union, Trump announced plans to celebrate with the women's hockey team at an undisclosed date. A rep for the women's team told PEOPLE in response to Trump's remarks, "Players are back competing with their professional and collegiate teams and are in the midst of their season. They’re honored and grateful to be invited and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be based on their schedules once their seasons conclude."
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