The men’s hockey team from Team USA, fresh off their gold medal victory at the 2026 Milan Olympics, will attend the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.. The event, scheduled for March 7, 2026, will be delivered by President Donald Trump and is expected to last over two hours. While 20 of the 25 gold medal-winning players will be present, five athletes have opted out due to prior commitments with their respective NHL teams.
The absent players are Jake Guentzel from the Tampa Bay Lightning, Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, Brock Nelson from the Colorado Avalanche, Jackson LaCombe of the Anaheim Ducks, and Jake Oettinger from the Dallas Stars. Each has an NHL game scheduled for March 8, 2026, leading them to spend March 7 preparing with their teams.
Guentzel, despite having the option to travel to D.C. with the rest of Team USA, chose to head back to Florida independently. Connor later spoke about President Trump’s light-hearted phone call with the team after their victory, where the President joked about needing to invite the women’s hockey team as well, or risk being “impeached.” Reflecting on the call, Connor remarked, “I don’t really have any thoughts on that. We just won the gold medal, and things are going on, so I don’t really remember what he said.”
Earlier in the day, the victorious players gathered on the White House lawn for a photo opportunity with their coach, Mike Sullivan. Trump, speaking through Kash Patel on speakerphone, extended the invitation to attend the State of the Union in a grand manner. He expressed, “We could send a military plane or something. But if you would like to [attend], it’s the coolest night.”
Trump assured the players that weather conditions would not hinder their travel plans. He stated, “We don’t care if it’s snowing or if it’s the worst blizzard; you’ll be sailing through that sucker just like you did on the ice today. We’ll do the White House the next day. We’ll just have some fun. We have medals for you guys.”
In a related note, the women’s hockey team, also gold medalists at the 2026 Milan Olympics, declined the invitation to the State of the Union address, opting instead to focus on their own celebrations and commitments.
The absence of five key players from Team USA highlights the balancing act athletes face between national representation and professional obligations, particularly in a high-stakes season where every game counts.
