President Donald Trump reached out to the U.S. men’s hockey team, with FBI Director Kash Patel joining them in the locker room to celebrate their recent win over Canada.
About an hour after the team’s victory, Coach Mike Sullivan, who secured his first Olympic gold since 1980, revealed that President Trump spoke with the players via FaceTime.
“The players were dressed in presidential attire in the locker room—whatever you want to call it, whether it’s FaceTime or something else. It was right in there,” said Sullivan, as reported by USA Today. “He spoke to the group, expressing his pride and congratulating everyone for their win.”
Sullivan noted that winning the medal was “an inspiration to our country.” He added, “I can’t tell you how many emails I received in just the last day or so about the 8 a.m. watch party. From a ratings standpoint, it seems like many people, including the president, were tuned in.”
A video recorded in the locker room shows Patel expressing to the team, “You guys were incredible,” while holding up his phone to Trump.
During the call, Trump invited the team to attend the upcoming State of the Union address, prompting players to enthusiastically shout, “We’re in!”
One player even asked for assistance in getting to Washington, D.C.
Trump responded, “Either get Kash or we’ll send in the military to get you,” which drew cheers from the players.
At the end of the call, President Trump expressed his affection, saying, “We love you all. Congratulations… I’ll make sure to shake everyone’s hands, but I had to shake that goalie’s hand!”
Team captain Auston Matthews described the excitement of receiving the call from the president after their 2-1 overtime victory against Canada. “We’re all proud Americans,” he stated. “This is a significant moment for us and for America. [Trump] called, and it’s a blessing. It’s an honor to wear this jersey and represent the United States. You can tell how much it means to everyone in this room and those cheering for us to come home with a gold medal.”
Matthews added, “I think there’s a lot to figure out as we come home. We’ll see how that unfolds, but it really is an honor to wear this jersey and represent the United States. Bringing back a gold medal means so much to all of us in this room and to everyone supporting us.”
Patel later shared a post-game photo on social media, referring to the hockey champions as “legends standing on the shoulders of giants.”
