US men's hockey star Jack Hughes talks Trump's State of the Union invite

U.S. men’s hockey prima Jack Hughes appeared to person nary qualms astir the imaginable of going to Washington for President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

Trump invited the men’s hockey squad to his code connected Sunday aft Hughes scored successful the overtime play of the golden medal game, defeating Canada 2-1.

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Jack Hughes (86) poses with teammates aft the gold-medal crippled against astatine the Winter Olympics, successful Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The players’ excitement appeared to miff critics of Trump. But portion talking to reporters extracurricular the E11EVEN nightclub successful Miami connected Monday night, the New Jersey Devils prima said gathering the president is simply a once-in-a-lifetime chance.

"Everything is truthful political. We’re athletes. We’re truthful arrogant to correspond the U.S. and erstwhile you get the accidental to spell to the White House, conscionable the president, you know, we’re arrogant to beryllium Americans, that’s truthful patriotic. No substance what your views are, we’re ace excited to spell to the White House and conscionable beryllium portion of that," helium said.

Jack Hughes, who scored the winning overtime goal, celebrates aft defeating Canada astatine the Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Hughes was dripping successful patriotism close aft helium scored the extremity connected Canadian netminder Jordan Binnington.

"This is each astir our state close now. I emotion the USA. I emotion my teammates. It’s unbelievable. The U.S. are a hockey brotherhood. It’s truthful beardown and we had truthful overmuch enactment from ex-players. I’m truthful arrogant to beryllium American today," helium said.

As the squad celebrated successful the locker room, FBI Director Kash Patel held his telephone connected talker arsenic Trump invited the squad to his State of the Union address.

"I’ll archer you what. I conscionable told my radical 2 minutes ago, I didn’t cognize they’d beryllium calling, I said we’re giving the State of the Union code connected Tuesday night," Trump said. "I tin nonstop a subject level oregon something, but if you would similar to, it’s the coolest night, it’s the biggest code …"

One subordinate chopped disconnected Trump and said, "We’re in."

Jack Hughes celebrates with the U.S. emblem aft scoring the team's 2nd extremity successful overtime to triumph golden connected Feb. 22, 2026. (Reuters/Alessandro Garofalo)

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"We’ll get Kash, and we’ll get the subject to get you guys over," Trump continued. "You won’t person to interest astir the upwind oregon landing. We don’t attraction if it’s snowing oregon if it’s the worst blizzard – we’ll beryllium sailing done similar you did connected the ice."

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