America’s newly crowned Olympic hockey champions arrived at Joint Base Andrews Tuesday morning, making their way to Washington D.C. for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address later that evening.
The victorious squad first stopped at the White House before their planned Capitol visit. Team forward Matthew Tkachuk shared social media photos showing players celebrating aboard what looked like a government aircraft, plus a group photo as they stepped off the plane.
The American team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime this past Sunday during the Milan Cortina Olympics. This historic victory marked the first time U.S. men claimed Olympic hockey gold since the legendary “Miracle on Ice” squad triumphed in Lake Placid, New York, back in 1980.
Following their championship win, Trump extended a State of the Union invitation to the team. Social media footage appeared to capture the president calling the victorious players in their locker room, where he humorously mentioned he would need to invite the women’s team as well, since they also captured gold against Canada.
However, the women’s squad declined the invitation due to scheduling conflicts.
The men’s team first flew on a charter flight to Miami Monday evening, then continued their journey to Washington D.C. the following morning.
Upon reaching the White House, team members gathered for photos in front of the South Portico. They also strolled through the West Wing colonnade, where Trump has displayed portraits of all U.S. presidents near the Oval Office. A Trump aide posted videos and pictures of the team’s White House visit on social media.
