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By Gabe Whisnant
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Jeremy Swayman, a reserve goaltender on the U.S. men's hockey team, said the team should have "reacted differently" during its postgame call with President Donald Trump after defeating Canada in the gold-medal game at the Winter Olympics.
When extending an invitation to his State of the Union address to the men’s team after Sunday night's win, Trump told the team huddled around FBI Director Kash Patel's phone, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that." Trump joked that if he did not also invite the women’s team, “I do believe I probably would be impeached."
The players could be seen and heard laughing and cheering after the president's remarks about their gold-medal winning cohorts. Their reaction to Trump's comments, along with allowing FBI Director Kash Patel to celebrate with them in the locker room, has sparked widespread backlash from critics of the president and his administration.
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“We should’ve reacted differently. We’re so excited for the women’s team and have so much respect for the women’s team," Swayman told reporters in the Boston Bruins locker room on Wednesday. "To share that gold medal with them is something that we're forever grateful for. Now that we're home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA. And share in this incredible gold medal."
The Olympic gold medal–winning U.S. men’s hockey team visited Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and later received a bipartisan standing ovation during his State of the Union address.
Trump announced Tuesday during his address 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.
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The U.S. women’s hockey team has not ruled out a future visit to the White House following its gold‑medal performance, but any trip would depend on players’ schedules. A team spokesperson said the athletes have returned to their professional and collegiate seasons and are currently in the middle of competition, making an immediate visit difficult.
A spokesperson for the U.S. women's hockey team told media outlets on Wednesday, "Players are back competing with their professional and collegiate teams and are in the midst of their season. They're honored and grateful to be invited and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be based on their schedules once their seasons conclude."
Which US Men’s Hockey Athletes Attended Trump’s State of the Union Address?
Most of the members of the Olympic gold medal–winning U.S. men’s hockey team attended Trump’s State of the Union address after visiting the White House earlier that day. The players entered the House chamber during the speech and were greeted with a bipartisan standing ovation that lasted about two minutes.
“I want to thank you all,” Trump told the players. “What a special job you did. What special champions you are."
Five members of the U.S. Men’s hockey team skipped a visit to the White House and the State of the Union address.
Kyle Connor, Jake Guentzel, Jackson LaCombe, Brock Nelson and Jake Oettinger skipped the D.C. trip.
It is not clear why those members opted to skip the meeting.
Updates: 2/25/26, 6:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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