Trump Invites US Olympic Hockey Teams to State of the Union

President Donald Trump extended invitations to both the U.S. Men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams to attend his State of the Union address on Tuesday at the United States Capitol, following their respective gold medal wins at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.

Congratulatory Call and Invitation

After the U.S. Men’s team secured a 2-1 victory over Canada on Sunday, President Trump placed a congratulatory video call to the team. He expressed his pride in their achievement and extended an invitation to the State of the Union address, according to team coach Mike Sullivan. “He just spoke to the group expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everybody on the win,” Sullivan told reporters via The New York Times.

Ryan Rishaug of TSN reported that Trump likewise invited the team to the State of the Union speech [1].

Team Response and Scheduling Conflicts

Whereas the teams expressed gratitude for the invitation, a spokesperson for USA Hockey indicated that the women’s team would be unable to attend due to pre-planned academic and professional commitments following the Games. “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our women’s hockey team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement. Due to the date and pre-planned academic and professional commitments after the Games, female athletes are unable to attend the meet. However, the invitation is an honor,” the spokesperson stated.

Team captain Auston Matthews did not confirm whether the men’s team would attend, citing logistical challenges related to travel back home and the resumption of the NHL season on Wednesday [1].

Previous Interactions

This is not the first time President Trump has acknowledged the U.S. Hockey teams. In February 2025, he addressed many of the same players before the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game against Canada, even suggesting at the time that Canada be considered as the “51st state” [1].

Trump’s Reaction to the Victory

Shortly after Jack Hughes scored the winning goal, President Trump posted on social media, “WHAT A GAME!!!” and added, “LOTS OF WINNING!!!” according to Sporting News.