The identities of the five Team USA men's hockey players who declined to attend the White House celebration and State of the Union address on Tuesday have been confirmed. The Winter Olympics gold medalists arrived in Washington DC on Tuesday morning, with the majority of the squad accepting an invitation from President Donald Trump following their dramatic victory over Canada in Milan.
Players Opting Out of Capital Celebrations
While twenty members of the twenty-five player roster participated in Oval Office meetings and White House festivities, five athletes chose to bypass the trip to America's political capital to continue their post-Olympic activities elsewhere. According to reports from The Athletic, the absent players include Kyle Connor, Jake Oettinger, Brock Nelson, Jake Guentzel, and Jackson LaCombe.
Individual Whereabouts and Schedules
Kyle Connor, who saw limited action during the Olympic tournament after the initial game, instead practiced with his NHL team, the Winnipeg Jets, on Tuesday ahead of their Wednesday matchup. Jake Oettinger was scheduled to return to Texas on Tuesday and is expected to participate in the Dallas Stars' morning skate on Wednesday before their game against the Seattle Kraken.
Brock Nelson has traveled back to Denver to reunite with his family and is anticipated to rejoin the Colorado Avalanche by Thursday. Jake Guentzel arrived home in Tampa Bay but elected to skip the Tampa Bay Lightning's practice session on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Jackson LaCombe was en route from Miami to California on Tuesday as he prepares to rejoin his Anaheim Ducks teammates for their upcoming game against the Edmonton Oilers.
Political Division and Team Defense
The decision by the majority of the team to accept President Trump's invitation has sparked considerable division across the United States in recent days. During a celebratory phone call with the men's team, President Trump remarked that he would 'be impeached' if he failed to extend the same invitation to the women's hockey team, who also secured gold medals in Milan.
Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail at Miami's E11EVEN nightclub prior to their celebratory gathering, Team USA goalscoring hero Jack Hughes defended his teammates' choice to visit the White House. Hughes stated, 'They (the women's team) have got busy schedules, too. Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today.'
He continued, 'People are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing. Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Athletes' Village, I think we are so tight with their group.'
Patriotic Sentiments Amid Political Climate
When questioned by the Daily Mail about their enthusiasm for meeting President Trump, Hughes added, 'Yeah, we're excited. Everything is so political. We're athletes. We're so proud to represent the US and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the President, we're proud to be Americans and that's so patriotic. No matter what your views are, we're super excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that.'
Oval Office Gathering and Presidential Recognition
President Trump's opulent Oval Office received an additional touch of gold on Tuesday as the triumphant hockey team visited the White House. 'I know every one of you,' Trump joked as Team USA center Auston Matthews approached the standing President. Trump then added, 'big guys,' before shaking hands with 6ft1 forward Dylan Larkin.
The one Team USA star who received immediate recognition from President Trump was Florida Panthers veteran Matthew Tkachuk, who recently made flattering comments about the President during Florida's Stanley Cup celebration at the White House last month. 'There's my friend,' Trump told the elder Tkachuk brother. 'You've come a long way since I last saw you.'
Transportation and Arrival Details
Jack Hughes, Connor Hellebuyck, and their teammates departed South Florida on Tuesday morning aboard a US Air Force 757 aircraft, which was specifically dispatched by President Trump to transport the gold medalists to Washington. The President had previously pledged to fly the American hockey stars to the capital to commemorate their Olympic achievement.
Upon landing at Maryland's Joint Base Andrews, team members engaged in photo opportunities with military personnel along the runway. By Tuesday afternoon, the grinning, albeit sleep-deprived, gold medalists were photographed on the White House's front lawn, marking the culmination of their celebratory visit to the nation's political epicenter.
