Jake Guentzel and the U.S. Olympic Hockey Teams’ Uneasy Aftermath

jake guentzel does not appear in the available accounts of the U. S. Olympic hockey teams’ postgold celebrations; unclear in the provided context. The men's and women's teams, a presidential phone call, locker-room scenes and travel logistics all figure in a sequence that has drawn praise and criticism.

The moment of unity

For a few hours on Sunday afternoon the nation felt smaller, a momentary pause in political and cultural fights as sports briefly united people. Strangers high-fived in bars, grownups hugged with wet eyes and politics and culture wars were suspended for the length of three heart-stopping periods of hockey and one cathartic overtime. The U. S. men’s hockey team won Olympic gold for the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” 46 years ago, and that triumph quieted some of the national noise, if only for a time.

The phone call and jokes

In the immediate aftermath of the victory the men's team took a customary congratulatory call from President Donald Trump. Video emerged of the men's team speaking to Trump from the locker room. On the call Trump said, "We're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that. I do believe I probably would be impeached. " Some players in the locker room laughed at the remark. That laughter, and the cadence of Trump’s words, prompted criticism: some observers thought the phrasing suggested the women's team would be invited begrudgingly, and others saw the men's response as disrespectful to the women's team, which had also won gold and had turned in a more dominant run.

Locker-room celebration and Kash Patel

The men's team celebrated in the locker room with FBI Director Kash Patel. Patel, described as beer-chugging in the aftermath, is now under scrutiny for using taxpayer money to fund a sports getaway. Patel was also the person who called Trump into the locker-room call after the win. After a wild night of partying in Miami following the team's return from Italy, some members of the men's team announced plans to step into the House Chamber and make an appearance at Trump's State of the Union.

Jack and Quinn Hughes weigh in

The men's team and specific players pushed back on negative takes. Quinn Hughes, who played for Team USA on the men's hockey team, said the men's team was "really happy" for the women. He added, "I'm glad you mentioned the women's team again. We're really happy for them. [There's] a lot going around on social media right now surrounding our team and their team, but in the last couple summers, we did a lot of training with them and got to know a lot of those girls really well. "

Jack Hughes, Quinn's brother and the player who scored the game-winning goal in the gold-medal game, defended the men's reaction and said the men's team was "proud" of the women's accomplishment: "People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us. " Jack also said the team was "excited" and "proud to meet Trump, " adding, "Everything is so political. We're athletes. We're so proud to represent the US and when you get the chance to go to White House and meet the President, we're proud to be Americans and that's so patriotic. " Their mother, Ellen Hughes, who represented Team USA hockey playing at the 1992 Women's World Championship with the national team, said both teams were all about "unity" during the Games: "These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country, " she said.

Women decline State of the Union

The U. S. women's hockey gold medal-winning team politely declined an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend his State of the Union address Tuesday. "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, " the women's team said released Monday. "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. " A spokesperson for the women's team said the team was "sincerely grateful" for the invite but could not attend due to "previously scheduled academic and professional commitments. "

Travel, timing and logistics

Logistics complicated the women's ability to attend. Each U. S. hockey team arrived in Miami on Monday, but the men's team flew by charter to Miami earlier Monday while the women took a commercial flight and were scheduled to land in Atlanta. Many of the women players were not scheduled to arrive in North America until Monday evening. The women's players didn't learn of the invite until late Sunday night, making it difficult to change their travel plans. Scheduling also posed challenges: the NHL season resumes with five games Wednesday, and the PWHL returns Thursday. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of both teams.

Reactions, criticism and perspective

The men's 2-1 win over Canada in the gold-medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday produced celebration and follow-on controversy. Some criticism focused on postgame actions and the tone of the presidential call; others criticized parties in Miami and the presence of Kash Patel with the team. Commentators warned that stepping quickly into political optics can narrow a team's moment; the hockey team did not create the wider divide, but when players embraced proximity to power they risked diminishing goodwill. Polls indicating a significant majority of Americans disapprove of Trump's second term were cited as context for why presidential optics matter. The men's victory over a seemingly indomitable Canadian squad has not been erased, but some of the widespread celebration has faded.

Jake Guentzel's role unclear

jake guentzel's involvement in any of these events is unclear in the provided context.

Matthew Tkachuk of the U. S. men's team, after arriving in Miami, captured the immediate feeling: "It's been a whirlwind, it's been amazing, " he said. "It's a dream of ours; it was such an amazing way to unite the country. We felt the support being across the Atlantic, and now being back on home soil we could feel it the second the wheels hit the ground. So excited to be back in the greatest country in the world and so excited to celebrate. " Tkachuk added that it was an honor to hear from Trump after the win: "And so we are definitely honored to represent him and the millions and millions across the country. " Vice President JD Vance attended two of the U. S. women's preliminary-round wins with his family over the first week of the Games.

No one can take the gold medals away from either team, but the sequence of a presidential call, locker-room laughter, partying, travel complications and a declined invitation left both teams navigating celebration and scrutiny in a polarized moment.