President Donald Trump warmly greeted most of the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team inside the Oval Office on Tuesday, Feb. 24, just two days removed from its thrilling overtime win against Canada in the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. But there were reportedly five members of Team USA that did not make the trip with the NHL season set to resume on Wednesday.
Trump invited the men’s hockey team for a White House visit and to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address to Congress when he spoke to players and coaches in the midst of their locker room celebration in Milan. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck, forward Matthew Tkachuk, center Dylan Larkin and golden goal scorer Jack Hughes and brother Quinn Hughes led the contingent of 20 Team USA members in attendance at the White House visit and could be at Trump’s State of the Union later Tuesday evening.
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These 5 U.S. hockey players are not at White House, Trump State of the Union
Jake Guentzel of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche forward Brock Nelson, Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe are not in Washington, D.C., with the rest of their U.S. Olympic men’s hockey teammates, according to multiple reports.
The Denver Post reported Nelson didn’t go on the White House trip in order to be with his family before the Avalanche plays in Utah on Thursday. Guentzel is in Tampa, according to the Tampa Bay Times, despite not being on the ice for the Lightning’s practice on Tuesday. LaCombe is expected back in Southern California on Tuesday evening, according to the Sporting Tribune, and WFAA reported Oettinger was already back in Dallas before Tuesday’s White House visit began.
Connor was also back on the ice with the Winnipeg Jets for Tuesday’s skate, according to The Athletic, and then spoke with reporters about returning to his NHL team.
‘I’m just getting ready. We play on Wednesday,’ Connor said. ‘It’s a big second half so I just wanted to make sure I was ready.’
Did Trump invite the USA women’s hockey team?
Yes, but the gold medal-winning United States women’s hockey team declined an offer by the White House to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address. The team cited ‘timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments’ as the reason.
When Trump called the U.S. men’s hockey team after its gold medal win and offered a military plane for the State of the Union and a White House visit, he also said, ‘I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?’
Connor, on Tuesday, sidestepped questions about the president’s remarks during the U.S. team’s locker room celebration.
‘I don’t really have any thoughts on that,’ he said. ‘There’s so many things happening. We just won the gold medal and things are going on so I don’t really remember what he said. It’s such a whirlwind, just celebrating.’
‘We’re extremely happy for them,’ Quinn Hughes said during an interview on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America,’ and then referenced the reaction to Trump’s locker room remarks. ‘Obviously a lot going on right now on social media surrounding our team and their team, but in the last couple summers, we did a lot of training with them and I actually know a lot of those girls really well. We’re extremely happy to come.’