The U.S. men's hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal since 1980 with a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Players faced questions upon returning to NHL duties about their laughter during a post-win call with President Donald Trump, who joked about inviting the women's gold-winning team to avoid impeachment. Several athletes expressed regret over the reaction while emphasizing support for the women's team.
The U.S. men's hockey team captured gold on February 23, 2026, defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy, with Jack Hughes scoring the game-winner. This marked the first men's gold for the U.S. since the 1980 Miracle on Ice, and both U.S. teams won gold by beating Canada in overtime.
Immediately after the victory, the team received a congratulatory phone call from President Trump, who invited them to the White House and State of the Union address. During the call, facilitated by FBI Director Kash Patel, Trump joked, "We're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that? I do believe I probably would be impeached." Laughter from the locker room drew criticism for appearing to diminish the women's achievement. The women's team, captained by Hilary Knight, declined the State of the Union invitation due to scheduling conflicts, with Knight calling the remark "distasteful and unfortunate" on ESPN.
Upon returning to NHL teams, players addressed the backlash. Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk, who attended the White House visit and State of the Union, described the moment as a "whirlwind" and said he was caught off guard. Teammate Jake Sanderson called the reaction a "mistake" but noted it was "blown out of proportion," adding that the teams shared close bonds at the Olympics, including watching each other's games. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy apologized, saying, "Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment," and highlighted the men's support for the women. Goalie Jeremy Swayman echoed, "We should've reacted differently," expressing respect for the women's team.
Tkachuk also dismissed an AI-generated White House TikTok video, viewed over 11 million times, that falsely depicted him using derogatory language toward Canadians, stating, "It's clearly fake... those words would never come out of my mouth." He denied another viral claim of saying "close the northern border."
Most U.S. players attended the White House and State of the Union on February 25, celebrating the dual golds. Senators coach Travis Green emphasized the visit was about the win, not politics. Tkachuk and Sanderson returned for Ottawa's game against Detroit on February 26.
