Five players from the US hockey team did not visit Donald Trump.

William Simoneau
Five players from the US hockey team did not visit Donald Trump.
Credit: X

Twenty of the twenty-five members of the US men's hockey team, recently crowned Olympic champions, will attend US President Donald Trump's State of the Union address at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday.

The players took time out to meet with the president this afternoon.

The information was confirmed by a representative of USA Hockey to the media outlet The Athletic. While the event is presented as a sporting celebration, it also raises certain questions about its political dimension.

Most of the players arrived in the capital on Tuesday morning aboard a military plane, after a night of celebrations in Miami following their victory over Canada in the final of the Olympic tournament in Milan on Sunday.
President Trump personally congratulated the team in a post-match phone call, taking the opportunity to invite the players to both the official speech and a visit to the White House.

However, five players chose not to participate in the trip to Washington. Officially, these absences are justified by the imminent resumption of the NHL season.

However, some observers believe that these decisions could also be motivated by political considerations.

In a polarized political context, attending an event as symbolic as the State of the Union address could be interpreted as implicit support for the president.

Some players may therefore choose to avoid any political association, opting to remain neutral.

This is particularly the case for Kyle Connor, Jackson LaCombe, Jake Oettinger, Brock Nelson, and Jake Guentzel, who all decided to return quickly to their teams.

Although these choices are explained by sporting reasons, they may also reflect a desire to stay away from an event with strong political overtones.

However, the US women's team was unable to participate. According to USA Hockey, long-standing academic and professional commitments prevented them from attending the event.

It should be noted that, in reality, the president's mockery was undoubtedly the reason for their refusal.

On Tuesday afternoon, the players in attendance were treated to a tour of the White House.

Several athletes, including Quinn Hughes, expressed their enthusiasm for this unique experience.

This presidential invitation is the crowning achievement of an exceptional journey, but it also highlights the sometimes blurred line between sports and politics, reigniting the debate on the role of athletes in major national events.


In brief

– Already five years. Five years ago to the day, Dominique Ducharme took over as interim coach of the CH after Claude Julien was fired. ⚪ pic.twitter.com/vh8idRdbvH

— RDS (@RDSca) February 24, 2026

– Nice gesture.

– Interesting.

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