PRIYA COOPER / SPORTS EDITOR

The  Winter Olympics recently came to a close and both the women’s and men’s U.S. hockey teams won gold over Canada. The final score of both games was 2-1. Both wins were  huge  as  the men’s team has not won an Olympic gold medal in 46 years, ending the drought since the famous “Miracle on Ice” in 1980. The women’s   team   last   won  in  2018 and has three gold medals total from the Winter Olympics. They won in 1998, 2018 and 2026. 

The USA men’s hockey team appeared at the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026. Photo courtesy of @usatoday/Instagram

After  the  victories,  both teams were invited to the White House to meet with President Trump. The invite came from a phone call from Trump, where he offered to send a military plane to bring them to Washington, D.C.

“We’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night,” Trump said. “I  could send a military plane or something, if you  would like to. It’s the coolest night. It’s the biggest speech.” 

Trump then included a comment about extending an invitation to the women’s team. 

“I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team — you do know that,” Trump said. “If they weren’t invited, I do believe I probably would be impeached.”

The  women’s  team  declined the  invitation  claiming  it  was due to scheduling conflicts with professional and academic commitments. They released a statement expressing their gratitude for their invitation and their inclusion. 

At the State of the Union address there was a standing ovation for the members of the men’s hockey team who were the present and wore their gold medals to the ceremony. Out of the 25 players on the team, 17 were present at the State of the Union. President Trump then awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the goalie of the hockey team,  Connor Hellebuyck. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is widely regarded as the highest civilian award bestowed by the U.S. government. Presented by the president, the medal  honors individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions in areas such as the arts, public service, science and other fields.

USD sophomore Alan Hickerson shared his views on the goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, winning the Presidential  Medal of Freedom. 

“I did not watch the State of the Union Address, but I’ve heard a lot in the news about the hockey team lately,” Hickerson said. “I was very surprised and it didn’t make sense because I learned that it was top of the top reward and I was just kind of like ‘Wow, like good for him’ but at the same time it feels weird.” 

After their appearance at the State of the Union, the Hughes brothers appeared on Saturday Night Live this past weekend for the opening monologue done by “Heated Rivalry” actor Connor Storrie. At the end of his monologue, the Hughes brothers joined him on stage and pretended they had no idea what “Heated Rivalry” was about. Storrie was joined by the Hughes brothers, Jack and Quinn and  USA women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight and her  teammate Megan Keller. 

The Hughes brothers competed  in  their  first Olympics, with Jack netting the overtime “golden goal” that secured Team USA’s win over Canada. Meanwhile, Knight is a five-time Winter Olympian, earning two gold medals and three silvers throughout her career. 

USD  senior Sophia Gatti watched the cold open on SNL and shared her thoughts. 

“Pop culture is really having its moment right now in regards to Heated Rivalry and the phone call with Trump and the men’s hockey team and I think SNL did a great job throwing it back at the men’s hockey team’s face while making it funny,” Gatti said. “I think Connor Storie smiling at Hillary Knight after that joke too was also very telling to the men’s team that while they may feel as though they are on top of the world, they are a laughing stock on SNL.”

On Monday night, March 2,  three of four Olympians who appeared on SNL will make their debut on “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon. The Hughes brothers and Hilary Knight  will  reappear on live tv just 4 days after their performance on SNL. 

The three athletes reflected on their hockey journey with Fallon and shared when they knew they wanted to play professionally. 

USD senior Vi Pham commented on the performance from “The Tonight Show.”

“I have not been following all of the hockey lore in that much detail but I know the men’s team has been receiving a lot of hate because of their political views,” Pham said. “But I watched the Tonight Show and I think Falon kind of made all of them more likable with his show because they all just shared sort of anecdotes about their past and what inspired them to play hockey. And I think those stories are just cool because they aren’t your typical nepo baby stories that typically circulate popular media outlets.” 

The gold medal victories marked a milestone for U.S. hockey as both are major sports accomplishments that lead to a lot of media attention over the past few weeks. 

Women’s USA Team players hold up gold medals in celebration after their victory. Photo courtesy of @usahockey/Instagram