US men’s Olympic hockey team lands at Joint Base Andrews on its way to State of the Union

By Canadian Press on February 24, 2026.

The gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team landed at Joint Base Andrews and went to the White House ahead of a visit to the Capitol for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

Forward Matthew Tkachuk posted pictures on social media of members of the team celebrating on what appears to be a U.S. government plane and a group shot of them deplaning.

The U.S. beat Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Olympics. 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.

The team received a State of the Union invitation from Trump following the game. A video that circulated on social media appeared to show Trump inviting the team on a phone call in the locker room, as he joked that he’d also have to invite the women’s team, which also won gold over Canada.

The women declined, citing scheduling issues.

The men’s team took a chartered plane to Miami on Monday night before traveling to the nation’s capital in the morning.

Team members posed for a photograph in front of the South Portico after they arrived at the White House. They also walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has posted portraits of every U.S. president just steps away from the Oval Office. Videos and photos of the team were shared on social media by one of Trump’s aides.

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

The Associated Press