MILAN \u2014 President Donald Trump invited the United States men\u2019s hockey team to Tuesday night\u2019s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., and said he wanted to honor the team at the White House on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
During a postgame celebration inside the winning locker room at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Sunday night after the U.S. defeated Canada, the president called to congratulate the team for winning the country\u2019s first men\u2019s hockey gold medal in 46 years. Video of the call appeared on X.<\/p>\n
With FBI director Kash Patel holding what appeared to be his cell phone with the initials \u201cDT\u201d on the home screen, Trump, on speaker phone, told players and staff he\u2019d send a military plane to pick them up and bring them to Washington for the State of the Union. The team was scheduled to charter from Milan to Miami on Monday after having its original flight to New York changed due to the winter storm hitting the northeast.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in,\u201d one player yelled.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan you pick us up in Miami on Tuesday morning?\u201d another asked.<\/p>\n
\nTEAM USA hockey will be celebrating gold tonight at Miami\u2019s Club E11even pic.twitter.com\/FoMcdVzRFL<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Andy Slater (@AndySlater) February 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Trump congratulated the men for playing an \u201cunbelievable game\u201d and said, \u201cYour goalie played not bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nYou can hear the genuine pride in Donald Trumps voice when he called the Team USA Hockey Team pic.twitter.com\/ch6GbXShwh<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Harrison Krank (@HarrisonKrank) February 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
As players roared when the president shouted out Connor Hellebuyck for his masterpiece in earning the United States its third men\u2019s hockey gold medal, Hellebuyck yelled, \u201cHow you doing, Don?\u201d<\/p>\n
Patel yelled excitedly, \u201cYou boys are going to the State of the Union!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you, Mr. President,\u201d a player said.<\/p>\n
Trump added that after Tuesday night\u2019s State of the Union, \u201cWe\u2019ll do the White House the next day. We\u2019ll just have some fun. We have medals for you guys. \u2026 I must tell you, we\u2019re going to have to bring the women\u2019s team, you do know that.\u201d Trump joked that he\u2019d \u201cprobably be impeached\u201d if he didn\u2019t invite the gold medal-winning women\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
\nUnity, Sacrifice, Attitude- what it takes to be the best in the world. These men live and breathe it. Now Team USA are gold medal champions, legends standing on the shoulders of giants. Thank you for representing the greatest country on earth, in the greatest game ever created.\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/hBG987pxM2<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) February 22, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
The invitations could lead to a delicate issue for the American NHLers because they\u2019re expected to return to their NHL teams on Tuesday, with eight games set for Wednesday involving 12 players from the United States\u2019 25-player roster, including Hellebuyck (his Winnipeg Jets play in Vancouver) and overtime hero Jack Hughes (his New Jersey Devils host Tage Thompson\u2019s Buffalo Sabres), as the league\u2019s regular season resumes.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, there are 12 NHL games involving 16 players on the roster. The New York Rangers, coached by U.S. head coach Mike Sullivan and assistant coach David Quinn, and Minnesota Wild, coached by USA assistant coach John Hynes, play that night.<\/p>\n
U.S. team general manager Bill Guerin, also the Wild\u2019s GM, told The Athletic via text that he\u2019s fine with Wild players Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber going to the State of Union and White House if they want to. He said he\u2019s not sure what other teams will decide. The Wild resume their season Thursday night at Colorado.<\/p>\n
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic that players can decide on an individual basis if they want accept the invitation and then it\u2019ll be up to their individual teams whether or not to grant permission.<\/p>\n
Trump said if they can work it out, \u201cI would be honored to have you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patel, invited into the locker by his friend, Guerin, responded, \u201cI got it, boss. I got it. \u2026 I\u2019m on it. I\u2019m f\u2014ing on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump told the players, \u201cYou\u2019re going to be proud of that game for 50 years as you grow older.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cTuesday night, I want to shake hands with everybody, but I gotta shake hands with that goalie.\u201d<\/p>\n
Patel, who also attended the United States\u2019 semifinal win over Slovakia on Friday night, has been under scrutiny for using a U.S. government\/Justice Department jet to fly to Milan for the Olympics, and for celebrating the gold medal win amid other serious obligations of his job.<\/p>\n
\nFor the very concerned media \u2013 yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth.\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kash Patel (@Kash_Patel) February 23, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
There are several videos from inside the locker room posted on X showing Patel partying with the USA hockey team after the game.<\/p>\n
\nA source sent me this video of FBI Director Kash Patel partying with the US Men’s Olympic Hockey team. pic.twitter.com\/egjmdhOAF6<\/a><\/p>\n