U.S. men's hockey team receives standing ovation during State of the Union address
#U.S. men's hockey#State of the Union#Olympic gold medal#White House visit#Connor Hellebuyck#Presidential Medal of Freedom#Milan Cortina Olympics#bipartisan ovation
📌 Key Takeaways
U.S. men's hockey team received bipartisan standing ovation at State of the Union
Trump announced women's team would visit White House 'soon'
Goalie Connor Hellebuyck to receive Presidential Medal of Freedom
Team's gold was first since 1980 'Miracle on Ice'
📖 Full Retelling
The Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team visited President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and later received about a two-minute bipartisan standing ovation during his State of the Union address that night, honoring their 2-1 overtime victory over Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics. During their White House visit, players posed for photographs in front of the South Portico, walked along the West Wing colonnade where presidential portraits are displayed, and were welcomed in the Oval Office, which Trump has redecorated with numerous gold accents that matched the players' medals. Trump praised the team as 'special champions' and announced that goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made 41 saves in the gold medal game, would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The president also revealed that the women's hockey team, which also defeated Canada to win gold, would 'soon' visit the White House, noting that the women's team had declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union due to timing conflicts. As lawmakers from both parties stood and cheered with chants of 'USA!', some players made thumbs-up gestures while watching from the press gallery, with forward Matthew Tkachuk greeting Trump as a returning visitor, marking his third White House trip in just over 12 months as a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion.
🏷️ Themes
Sports achievement, Political recognition, National pride
Award given to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games
An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold, silver, and bronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols.
Annual report by the president of the United States
The State of the Union address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The speech generally includes reports...
Connor Charles Hellebuyck ( HEL-ə-buk; born May 19, 1993) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a goaltender for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL).
After playing one season in the North American Hockey League with the Odessa Jackalopes, Hellebuyck was selected by t...
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the joint-highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President for award of the Medal or any person selected by t...
By — Darlene Superville, Associated Press Darlene Superville, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter U.S. men's hockey team receives standing ovation during State of the Union address Politics Feb 24, 2026 11:23 PM EST WASHINGTON — The Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team visited President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and later received about a two-minute bipartisan standing ovation during his State of the Union address that night. Trump also announced that the women's hockey team, which also defeated Canada to win gold, will "soon" visit the White House. The women's team had declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union due to the timing of the address. WATCH: Trump introduces Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team Men's players entered the House chamber through two sets of doors and walked down the rows of the press gallery. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle not only stood and cheered but chanted "USA!" several times, many even pumping fists. Rep. Lisa McClain, the Republican House Conference Chair, shouted "Love you!" to the players. "I want to thank you all," Trump told the players. "What a special job you did. What special champions you are." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. Trump also said goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 shots in the gold medal game, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Hellebuyck tapped his heart as those in the chamber applauded. Videos and photos shared on social media by Trump administration aides showed the hockey players posing for a photograph in front of the South Portico. They walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has pos...
