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U.S. men’s hockey gold medalist and Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has dismissed criticism of the national team’s decision to visit President Donald Trump at the White House.
Tkachuk appeared on “Hang Out with Sean Hannity” and discussed the criticism he and his teammates received over their locker room celebration and their decision to fly to Washington, D.C., to see Trump and attend his State of the Union address.
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Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrates after defeating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, February 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)
“For us, there will be criticism for everything we did – all the parties we had, all the fun we had,” he said. “But we’ve earned the right to have the biggest moment and the biggest celebration. Of course, one of the first invitations we get is from the president in the locker room. It was the quickest ‘yes’ ever.”
Tkachuk said the team would have gone to the White House regardless of who was the country’s president.
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Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrates after the United States defeated Canada in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, February 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
“It didn’t matter who was president,” he continued. “We are invited as Team USA to go to the White House and represent the sport of hockey, to represent American hockey, to be representatives of Americans. What an honor that is.”
Not all members of the American men’s hockey team traveled to the White House, as some cited constraints related to the resumption of the NHL regular season as the playoffs approach.
Tkachuk has visited the White House several times since the start of his second term. He and the Panthers also celebrated their Stanley Cup title victory at the White House.
Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States celebrates after the United States defeated Canada in a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, February 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
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Team USA beat Canada in overtime to win the gold medal.
