Team USA star Matthew Tkachuk brushes off criticism for visiting Trump

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Matthew Tkachuk, U.S. men’s hockey gold medalist and Florida Panthers star, brushed off criticism around the national team’s decision to visit President Donald Trump at the White House.

Tkachuk appeared on "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" and touched on the criticism he and his teammates received over their celebration in the locker room 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 Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

"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," he 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 said the team would have gone to the White House no matter who was presiding over the country.

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United States' Matthew Tkachuk (19) 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, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

"It doesn’t matter who was president," he continued. "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 every member of the U.S. men’s hockey team went to the White House, as some cited constraints with resuming the NHL regular season as the playoffs neared.

Tkachuk has been to the White House a few times since Trump began his second term in office. He and the Panthers celebrated their Stanley Cup title victories at the White House as well.