Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk dismissed criticism over the U.S. men's ice hockey team's decision to visit President Donald Trump at the White House following their gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.[1][3]

Tkachuk, 28, born in Scottsdale, Arizona, to former NHL player Keith Tkachuk, was a standout contributor to the Panthers' 2024 Stanley Cup victory over the Edmonton Oilers.[1][2][4] He addressed the matter on Fox News' "Hang Out with Sean Hannity."

The U.S. team won gold by defeating Canada in overtime in the final on February 22, 2026, at the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy. The Milano Cortina Games ran from February 6 to 22, 2026.[3][5]

"For us, there’s gonna be criticism for everything we’ve done – all of the partying we’ve done, all the fun we’ve been having," Tkachuk said. "But we’ve earned the right to have the greatest time and the greatest celebration. Of course, one of the first invites we get is from the president in the locker room. It was the quickest ‘yes’ ever."

Tkachuk emphasized the team would have accepted the invitation regardless of the president. "It doesn’t matter who was president. We are getting invited as Team USA to go to the White House and represent the sport of hockey, represent USA Hockey, be representatives of Americans. What an honor this is."

Not all team members attended the visit, with some citing scheduling conflicts as the NHL regular season resumed ahead of the playoffs.

Tkachuk previously visited the White House with the Panthers to celebrate their Stanley Cup title during Trump's second term.

Sources

1. NHL.com
   Florida Panthers - Matthew Tkachuk
   n/a
   https://www.nhl.com/panthers/player/matthew-tkachuk-8479319
2. Wikipedia
   Matthew Tkachuk
   Accessed October 2024
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Tkachuk
3. Olympics.com
   Milano Cortina 2026
   n/a
   https://olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/
4. NHL.com
   Panthers defeat Oilers in Game 7 to win Stanley Cup
   June 25, 2024
   https://www.nhl.com/news/panthers-defeat-oilers-in-game-7-to-win-stanley-cup
5. Wikipedia
   2026 Winter Olympics
   Accessed October 2024
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Winter_Olympics