U.S. women’s hockey team will not attend State of the Union after Trump invitation

The United States women’s hockey team, which won gold at the Olympics in Milan last week, will not attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night, according to a statement.

The statement, issued by USA Hockey, read: “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement. Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”

The U.S. men’s team, which also won gold in Milan, also received an invitation to the speech from Trump, and to a White House event on Wednesday. Team members arrived in Miami on Monday, and Matthew Tkachuk told reporters there that the team would “spend the day here today and then off to D.C. tomorrow and I’ll be back in Lauderdale on Wednesday.” A Columbus Blue Jackets team source told The Athletic that Zach Werenski also would be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Asked whether the trip will include the State of the Union speech, Tkachuk said, “I don’t know exactly what our plan is yet.”

Winnipeg Jets coach Scott Arniel, asked on Monday about the status of American Olympians Connor Hellebuyck and Kyle Connor, said: “With the White House thing, we’re still waiting for information on KC and Helle on that one. That sounds like it’s a go for (Tuesday) night. We’re still getting the particulars on that.”

Trump, on a call Sunday to a raucous locker-room celebration by the U.S. men — which included FBI director Kash Patel — invited that team to both the State of the Union and the White House. The U.S. men had just won gold with 2-1 overtime win over Canada. Trump, in a video of the call posted to social media, mentioned the women’s team.

“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” he said, via the speaker on what appeared to be Patel’s phone. Trump also said that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite the women’s team. The line was met with laughs by some of the U.S. men, who’d crowded around Patel and engaged in celebratory back-and-forth with Trump throughout the call.

Three days earlier, the U.S. women completed a 7-0 run through the Olympic tournament with a come-from-behind, 2-1 overtime victory over Canada. They haven’t lost a game in a major international competition since the 2024 Women’s World Championship gold-medal game, which Canada won 6-5 in overtime.

The Professional Women’s Hockey League, with 16 American players spread across six rosters, resumes its season on Thursday. The U.S. women’s roster also includes seven NCAA players, some of whom are scheduled to play on Friday.