The United States pulled off a stunning golden goal upset over Canada in the gold medal game of the 2026 Winter Olympics. It was a tremendous moment for the American squad, avenging Sidney Crosby’s 2010 golden goal that gave Canada the win in 2010.
The U.S. women’s team also took down Canada in the Gold Medal game. However, the teams are taking massively different approaches to celebrating their gold medals. The women declined an invitation to celebrate the win at the White House, which is currently occupied by the ever-so-controversial Donald Trump administration, while the men’s side accepted the invitation.
However, one of the players on the men’s side is flat-out refusing to celebrate with Trump.
“Jake Guentzel did not accept Donald Trump’s invite to the White House and won’t join the team on their visit today,” reported PuckEmpire on Twitter.
Jake Guentzel did not accept Donald Trump's invite to the White House and won't join the team on their visit today. pic.twitter.com/zn09vpB9dz
— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) February 24, 2026
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“Jake Guentzel skipping the White House visit isn’t just a political statement, it’s a reminder that values and principles sometimes outweigh tradition and ceremony,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“Perfectly valid all players have that choice. No reason to give players flack for either choice they make,” someone else added.
“Matthews should have done the same. Dissapointing to be honest. Guentzel is gonna be more prepared for the game,” another fan added.
It’s awesome to see athletes stand up and tell the President “no.”
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.