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- The U.S. men’s hockey team visited President Trump at the White House and planned to attend Tuesday’s State of the Union after winning Olympic gold.
- The U.S. women’s hockey team declined the same White House invitation, citing previously scheduled academic and professional commitments after the Games.
- Rapper Flavor Flav has offered to host the women’s hockey team at a celebration event in Las Vegas.
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Both U.S. hockey teams won Olympic gold this past weekend at the Milan-Cortina Games.
Both teams were invited to attend President Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the achievements.
Only one team will attend. The other may end up celebrating with a hip-hop legend at some point instead.
Here is what’s going on:
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U.S. women and men win gold in overtime thrillers
The United States women’s hockey team trailed Canada 1-0 with a little more than two minutes left in the gold medal game on Thursday. That’s when Hilary Knight deflected a Laila Edwards slap shot past Canadian goalie Ann-Renée Desbiens to even the score and eventually send the game to overtime.
Megan Keller scored the golden goal 4 minutes and 7 seconds into the extra period, lifting the Americans to their third gold medal in the event after accomplishing the feat in 1998 and 2018.
Hilary Knight scores the game-tying goal late in the third period before Megan Keller scored the winner in overtime to give the U.S. the gold medal in Olympic women’s hockey.
Three days later, the United States and Canada faced off in the men’s gold medal game. Like the women’s final, this one also ended regulation with the score tied 1-1.
And, also like the women’s final, it ended with the U.S. notching the winning goal early in overtime. The partially toothless Jack Hughes, left alone on the left wing, beat Canadian goalie Jordan Binnington cleanly 1:41 into the extra period to set off a wild celebration for the Americans.
It’s the first gold for U.S. men’s hockey since 1980, and the victory came on the 46th anniversary of the team’s legendary “Miracle on Ice” win against the Soviet Union.
U.S. players Kendall Coyne, left, and Hilary Knight celebrate after the medal ceremony Feb. 19 at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
(Hassan Ammar / Associated Press)
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Presidential invites
During the men’s postgame locker room celebration — which was attended by FBI director Kash Patel — President Donald Trump addressed the team by phone, offering his congratulations as well as an invitation to attend his State of the Union address two days later. Several players seemed to cheer in approval.
“I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said during the call, in a comment that was met with loud laughter in the locker room. By not inviting the other American gold medal hockey team, the president said, “I do believe I’d probably be impeached.”
On Monday, the U.S. women’s team acknowledged it had been invited to the State of the Union address but politely declined.
Trump is expected to focus on his immigration crackdown and his promises to go after what he says is government ‘waste, fraud and abuse.’
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the team said in a statement. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
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Men’s team visits the White House
On Tuesday, members of the men’s team flew from Miami to Washington in what appeared to be a U.S. government plane — based on pictures posted on social media by forward Matthew Tkachuk — and landed in Maryland at Joint Base Andrews.
The contingent then visited the president at the White House ahead of his speech.
“I recognize every one of you,” Trump said as the players entered the Oval Office. “I know every one of you.”
Some players reportedly did not make the trip, including forward Jake Guentzel, center Brock Nelson and forward Kyle Connor.
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A ‘real celebration’ for women’s team ... courtesy of Flavor Flav
Meanwhile, Flavor Flav offered to host a special event for the women’s hockey team.
“If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite ,,, I’ll host them in Las Vegas,” Flav wrote Monday on X. “Do some nice dinners and shows and good times. I’m sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real.”
The iconic Public Enemy rapper added: “But I gots to invite my Bobsled + Skeleton team too.”
Veronica Fraley, a U.S. discus thrower at the Paris Olympics, was having financial trouble back home. Flavor Flav and Alexis Ohanian helped pay off her rent for the year.
Flav was an official sponsor of the U.S. bobsled and skeleton teams at the Milan-Cortina Games. He held a similar role for U.S. Water Polo at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He indicated on X later Monday that a “formal invitation” had been sent to the women’s hockey team. There’s no word yet on whether the team has accepted the offer.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
