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The U.S. men’s ice hockey team stopped Tuesday to pose for photos with military personnel at Joint Base Andrews ahead of their arrival at the White House and their expected participation in the State of the Union address.
The players landed in Washington, DC, just after 13 ET after celebrating their historic gold medal win over Canada at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics in Miami the previous night.
The U.S. men’s ice hockey team stops to take pictures with members of the military to pose with their gold medals after arriving at Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday. (Pakinomist)
Several military members lined up to greet Team USA, who were again seen draping the American flag over their shoulders.
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The players then ran over to greet them, stopping for hugs, handshakes and pictures. Several of the players were seen giving their gold medals to the servicemen and women to wear for photos before heading off to meet President Donald Trump in the Oval Office.
New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes made headlines when he shared a patriotic message after his overtime goal secured the gold medal for Team USA.
“This is about our country right now. I love the United States. I love my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The United States is a hockey brotherhood. It’s so strong and we had so much support from former players. I’m so proud to be an American today,” a toothless Hughes told the NBC broadcast immediately after the game.
Gold medalists Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes of Team United celebrate after the men’s gold medal match between Canada and the United States on Day 16 of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
NHL defenseman and Jack’s brother, Quinn Hughes, continued that sentiment during an interview with NBC’s Mike Tirico, given as the team began their festivities in Italy.
“It’s so special and I want to thank our troops for allowing us to play this game. Thank you to our troops for allowing us to play this game.”
Trump invited both the men’s and women’s gold medal teams to the White House and extended an invitation to the State of the Union address, but the women’s team declined, citing scheduling conflicts.
President Donald Trump speaks with members of the US men’s hockey team at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026. (Dan Scavino via X)
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In a video of the president’s phone call with the men’s team immediately after their victory, Trump said he would “have to” invite the women’s team or he would “probably be impeached.” The players laughed in response to Trump’s joke, which caused quite a bit of backlash on social media.
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