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President Donald Trump introduced the members of the Olympic champion U.S. men’s hockey team during his State of the Union address.
According to NBC News, The team, which entered the chamber from the press gallery, got a standing ovation from both Republicans and Democrats. Trump joked that it was the “first time I’ve ever seen them [Democrats] get up.”
The Republican said, “But they beat a fantastic Canadian team in overtime, as everybody saw. As did the American women, who will soon be coming to the White House.”
Trump separately announced that he would award Connor Hellebuyck, the team’s goaltender, who backstopped the team to a gold-medal victory in Sunday’s 2-1 win over rival Canada, with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump said he had “never seen a goaltender play as well as” Hellebuyck, who made 41 saves in the clinching game.
Earlier Tuesday, February 24, the players met with Trump in the Oval Office and posed for a photo with their medals in front of the White House, as per the photos and video posted by White House communications adviser Margo Martin.
Twenty members of the team except Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe, Jake Oettinger, Jake Guentzel and Kyle Connor, were at the White House.
