The Team USA men’s hockey team have started to arrive at the US Capitol for Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech on Tuesday night.
The Winter Olympics champions have spent the day in Washington DC after being invited by Trump in the celebratory locker room phone call that has since divided America.
Trump joked he would ‘be impeached’ if he didn’t extend the same invite to the women’s team, who also won gold in Milan, and they later chose not to accept.
Following a riotous night of celebrating in Miami, the men’s team flew to Washington DC on Tuesday morning. They met Trump in the Oval Office as he prepared to deliver his State of the Union address.
Moments before Trump arrived, Boston Bruins star Charlie McAvoy was seen entering the US Capitol with his gold medal hanging around his neck.
There are 20 members of the 25-man Winter Olympics roster in Washington DC but it remains to be seen how many will attend the State of the Union.
Team USA hockey stars wait backstage before the State of the Union on Tuesday night
Goalscorer Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes walk through the media room in the Capitol
The team have had a whirlwind day in Washington DC celebrating their Winter Olympics gold
Charlie McAvoy seemed to be the first Team USA hockey star arriving at the State of the Union
He flashed his Winter Olympics gold medal to staffers and those gathered for Trump’s speech
Videos and photos shared on social media by Trump administration aides throughout Tuesday documented their trip to the White House.
They showed hockey team members posing for a photograph in front of the South Portico.
They walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has posted portraits of every U.S. president just steps away from the Oval Office, where they were welcomed by Trump.
As they approached the Oval Office, some of the players popped into the press office’s open door to flash the medals from their 2-1 overtime win over Canada on Sunday.
It was the Americans’ first gold medal in men’s hockey since the ‘Miracle on Ice’ group won in Lake Placid, New York, in 1980. Staffers applauded and shouted, ‘We love you!’
‘I recognize every one of you. I know every one of you,’ Trump said as the players entered the Oval Office, which he has redecorated with numerous flourishes of gold that matched the players´ medals.
‘Big guys,’ he said, standing near his desk and shaking hands with the players, who wore dark tops with ‘USA,’ the American flag and the Olympic rings on the front and light colored pants.
The one Team USA star who was instantly recognized by Trump was Panthers veteran Matthew Tkachuk, who recently made flattering comments about the President as Florida celebrated its latest Stanley Cup title at the White House last month.
President Trump welcomed 20 of the 25-man roster into the Oval Office earlier on Tuesday
The Republican leader slipped on a gold medal before posing for pictures with the team
They showed hockey team members posing for a photograph in front of the South Portico
They walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has portraits of every president
Stars leaned into the press office’s open door to flash the medals from their win over Canada
As a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion, Tkachuk was making his third White House trip in just over 12 months.
‘There’s my friend,’ Trump told the elder Tkachuk brother. ‘You’ve come a long way since I last saw you.’
While 20 members of the 25-strong squad were in attendance, five players chose not to go to America’s capital to continue the celebrations.
According to The Athletic, Kyle Connor, Jake Oettinger, Brock Nelson, Jake Guentzel and Jackson LaCombe have all opted against spending time with Trump and their teammates in Washington DC.
Connor, who didn’t see any action in Milan after their first game, practiced with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday ahead of their next NHL game on Wednesday.
Oettinger was scheduled to arrive back in Texas on Tuesday and should be at the Dallas Stars’ morning skate on Wednesday before they play the Seattle Kraken.
Nelson is back in Denver to see his family and should be back with the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday. Guentzel has arrived home in Tampa Bay but skipped Lightning practice on Tuesday.
Meanwhile LaCombe was heading back to California from Miami on Tuesday as he prepares to reunite with his Anaheim Ducks teammates for their game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Interestingly, all but Connor grew up in Minnesota. There have been violent clashes in Minneapolis between immigration enforcement agents and anti-ICE protesters following the deaths of two Americans, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, last month.
