Trump invites US Olympic hockey heroes to State of the Union in locker-room call | Winter Olympics 2026

Donald Trump called to congratulate the United States men’s hockey team after its dramatic victory over Canada in the Olympic gold medal game Sunday afternoon, praising what he called an “incredible” performance and inviting the players to Washington DC this week.

The US president addressed the team via loudspeaker shortly after their 2-1 overtime victory, telling them they had delivered a moment the country would remember for decades.

“Amazing. You were all incredible. This team is pretty good, you played,” Trump said in a locker room video capturing the call.

The United States won its third Olympic men’s hockey title, and first since the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, thanks to Jack Hughes’ overtime winner and a tremendous effort from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced.

Trump told the players they were invited to attend Tuesday night’s State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol as honored guests and suggested a celebration at the White House would follow.

“I’ll tell you what: I just told my staff two minutes ago. I said we’re going to give the State of the Union address Tuesday night,” Trump said. “We could send a military plane or something. But if you want, [attend]it’s the coolest night.

“The great thing about being president is, I can tell you, you don’t have to worry about the weather or the landing. We don’t care if it’s snowing or it’s the worst blizzard, you’ll sail through this shit like you did on the ice today. We’ll go to the White House the next day. We’ll just have fun. We’ve got medals for you guys.”

Trump also referenced the U.S. women’s hockey team, which won Olympic gold on Thursday with its own overtime victory over Canada.

“I have to tell you, we’re going to have to bring in the women’s team,” he said. “You know that. I think I would probably be impeached. [if the women’s team wasn’t invited].”

Trump told American players that the audience in his country had been large.

“I don’t know a single person who wasn’t [watching]” he said. “Everyone who called me said, ‘I’m watching the hockey game.’ You will be proud of this game for 50 years as you get older. It was incredible. We love you guys. Congratulations.”

He finished by highlighting Hellebuyck, the American goaltender who had been hailed by his teammates as the best player on the ice.

“I’ll shake everyone’s hand, but I have to shake that goalie’s hand,” Trump said.

U.S. coach Mike Sullivan confirmed the call took place in the locker room shortly after the medal ceremony.

“The players just had the president — I don’t know what it was, what do you call it? FaceTime? Whatever — in the locker room,” Sullivan said. “So he addressed the group, expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everyone on the victory. Obviously, this match, in many ways, was an inspiration for our country.”

Sullivan said he was struck by the reaction in the United States, where the puck dropped shortly after 8 a.m. on the East Coast.

“I can’t tell you how many text messages I’ve received over the last few days about watch parties at eight in the morning,” he said. “I think from an audience perspective in the United States, a lot of people were paying attention to it, including the president.”

U.S. captain Auston Matthews hinted at the invitation and said the team had not yet determined whether it could accept it, citing the quick turnaround before the NHL season resumes Wednesday.

“We’re all proud Americans, obviously, and this is a huge moment for us. It’s a huge moment for the United States,” Matthews said. “He called us and just congratulated us. I think there’s a lot to do as far as our return trip goes, but we’ll see what happens.

“It’s an honor to wear this jersey, represent the United States and come away with the gold medal. You know how much it means to the guys in this room and how much it means to all the people watching and supporting us as well.”

The call was coordinated in part by FBI Director Kash Patel, who arrived in Milan on Thursday before the team’s semifinal and joined the locker room celebration after Sunday’s victory after watching the game from a hospitality suite alongside American snowboarder Nick Baumgartner. Patel’s official biography on the Pentagon website states: “Kash is a lifelong ice hockey player, coach and fan. »

Videos shared on social media showed Patel drinking beer from a bottle, spraying the rest around the room and beating his chest while players jumped and sang along to Toby Keith’s Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American), the patriotic revenge song released in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Hours earlier, the U.S. Secret Service shot and killed a gunman who drove to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence. As Sunday’s game went into overtime, Patel posted on X that the FBI was “devoting all necessary resources to the investigation.”

Patel later wrote that he was “extremely touched when my friends, the new gold medalists on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys.”

His presence sparked criticism from some former officials. Xochitl Hinojosa, a spokesperson for former Attorney General Merrick Garland, wrote on [Mar-a-Lago]Americans in Mexico are facing major threats from cartel members, Nancy Guthrie is still missing, and our FBI director thinks he’s a fraternity brother?!”

Patel said his trip to Italy included meetings with Italian law enforcement officials and visits to the Joint Operations Center in Milan, which coordinates the security of U.S. athletes and visitors during the Games.

This call has revived the political nuances that have surrounded the recent clashes between the United States and Canada. Trump addressed many of the same players before the final of last year’s 4 Nations championship game — the first international tournament featuring the NHL’s top players since 2016 — at the height of the 51st state acrimony that led to booing of the U.S. national anthem in Montreal.

Patel wasn’t the only Trump ally in the arena for Sunday’s game. Kelly Loeffler, head of the Small Business Administration and former Georgia senator, also watched from the stands before attending the closing ceremony in Verona.

Immediately after Sunday’s victory, Trump posted a congratulatory message on his Truth Social account. The White House’s official

The president’s call came 13 days after he posted on social media that China would “eliminate the Stanley Cup” and end ice hockey games in Canada if the countries reached a trade deal, a remark he later said was not serious.

Press officers for the U.S. men’s and women’s teams did not immediately respond to messages from the Guardian Monday morning about whether either group would attend the State of the Union or visit the White House.