Feb. 22, 2026 — Milan-Cortina, Italy The U.S. men’s ice hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime to claim the gold medal at the Winter Olympics, marking their first triumph in the sport since the iconic 1980 “Miracle on Ice” victory.
Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal 1:41 into overtime, propelling Team USA to victory, according to reports from ESPN and NHL.com. The win helped Team USA achieve a best-ever total of 12 gold medals at the Games.
The team returned home triumphantly, landing in Miami on Monday amid widespread celebrations. Players honored late teammate Johnny Gaudreau by wearing his jersey and bringing his children onto the ice. X, formerly Twitter, buzzed with viral clips of the goal, team arrivals, and patriotic reactions, including high-engagement posts from accounts like @BrandonStraka.
President Trump personally called the locker room via FBI Director Kash Patel shortly after the win to congratulate the players and invite the men’s team to his State of the Union address on February 24, The Guardian reported. Trump reportedly joked about potential backlash if he did not also invite the women’s team.
In contrast, the U.S. women’s hockey team, fresh off their third consecutive Olympic gold, politely declined the invitation, citing “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments,” per The Washington Post and USA Today. USA Hockey issued a statement thanking the president but emphasizing the priority of those obligations. As an alternative, rapper Flavor Flav extended an invitation for a Vegas party.
