MILAN — Team USA hockey captain Auston Matthews and players Jack and Quinn Hughes let out giggles as they were asked about the video call they had just had with U.S. President Donald Trump to congratulate them on winning the Olympic gold medal on Sunday.
Then, Matthews switched to a more serious tone as Quinn Hughes downed his Corona.
“I mean, we’re all proud Americans, obviously, and I mean, this is a huge moment for us. It’s a huge moment for the United States. He called and just congratulated us,” the team captain said.
“But obviously, it’s an honour to wear this jersey and to represent the U.S.,” he continued. “To go home with the gold medal. I mean, you know how much that means to the guys in this room and how much it means to know all the people watching and rooting us on too.”
Matthews hinted that Team USA might make a detour in their travels before the players resume their regular season in the NHL. He did not say if it would be to the White House.
“I think there’s a lot of moving parts, as far as our travels back home, but, yeah, we’ll kind of see what happens,” he said.
After the game, which the U.S. won 2-1 against Canada in overtime, Trump took to his social media, Truth Social, to express his pride that the U.S. men’s hockey team won an Olympic gold medal — a feat that they had not accomplished since 1980.
“Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW!” Trump wrote on Truth Social right after the game.
“WHAT A GAME!!!” he wrote a minute after.
“LOTS OF WINNING!!!” he added 13 minutes later.
( @realDonaldTrump – Truth Social Post )
( Donald J. Trump – Feb 22 2026, 11:30 AM ET )
LOTS OF WINNING!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/mVQBds8od4— Fan Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 TRUTH POSTS (@TruthTrumpPosts) February 22, 2026
U.S. hockey coach Mike Sullivan was the one to first reveal in a press conference after the game on Sunday, that his team had a video call with their country’s president.
“Obviously, this game, in a lot of ways, was an inspiration to our country,” said Sullivan.
“I think, from a viewership standpoint, in the United States, there were a lot of people paying attention — the President included,” he added.
U.S. forward Matthew Tkachuk was one of the players who visited the White House only days before the start of the Olympics, alongside officials from the Florida Panthers.
Speaking after the game, Tkachuk reiterated his pride to be part of Team USA. “I’m just so proud to represent the greatest country in the world with these guys, and it’s an honour to wear this,” he said of his jersey. “And the only sad part is it ends after this.”
Trump’s celebration of the gold medal win in men’s hockey brings an end to the Milano-Cortina Games that has seen a political undercurrent for U.S. athletes.
Vice President JD Vance was booed at the Opening Ceremony when he appeared on the big screen of the San Siro Stadium for a few instants, but that bitterness did not spill towards the U.S. athletes, who were loudly cheered when they appeared.
While most U.S. athletes did not want to delve into their country’s actions such as the ICE raids in Minneapolis and the violent clashes with protesters that were dominating the headlines at the start of the Games, a few have — and they suffered the consequences.
At the start of the Games, U.S. freestyle skier Hunter Hess admitted he had “mixed emotions” about representing Team USA at the Olympics, explaining that there was “obviously a lot going on” in his country that he was not “the biggest fan of.”
“Just because I wear the flag, it doesn’t mean I represent everything that is going on in the U.S.,” Hess said.
His comments prompted a political firestorm with Trump calling Hess a “real loser” and that he “shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it.”
Former U.S. hockey team captain Mike Eruzione, from the “Miracle on Ice” team who last won gold in 1980 against the Soviet Union, also criticized Hess, saying that he should not be wearing the Team USA uniform if he would prefer to represent his family and friends.
On Friday, Hess said he has emerged from “probably the two hardest weeks of my life” after Trump’s criticism, but he does not regret making those comments. “I stand with what I said. I love the United States of America. I cannot reiterate that enough,” he said.
U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn, who is pansexual, also took lots of heat at the start of the Games for saying that the LGBTQ+ community has been facing “hard times” under Trump.
“I know that a lot of people say you’re just an athlete, stick to your job, shut up about politics, but politics affect us all,” Glenn said at the time. “It is something that I will not just be quiet about.” Glenn said she received a “scary amount” of hate and threats afterwards.
Hockey players and officials at the Olympics have so far steered far away from politics.
Team Canada coach Jon Cooper would not get into the geopolitical backdrop of the Canada-U.S. gold medal game. “Losing hurts. It doesn’t matter who it’s to,” he said.
“For me, I look at this game, I’m so proud of what went on. I’m proud of our country. I’m proud of our players. I’m proud of our team,” said Cooper. “The big winner of this tournament was ice hockey. I think that’s what we should all take out of this.”
But politics might catch up to Matthews, who will return as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, especially if he is seen all smiles next to Trump in the Oval Office in a few days.
Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime winning goal for Team USA, came to his defence.
“I think it doesn’t matter what anyone says now. Auston Matthews is a winner. Auston Matthews is an Olympic gold medalist. He’s a winner,” said Hughes.
“Yeah, that’s what the media in Toronto should be talking about.”
National Post
calevesque@postmedia.com
