The celebrations continue for Team USA after winning the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey in 46 years in Milan to close out the Milan Winter Games.
The members of the team all landed in Miami this afternoon ahead of a massive celebration in a south Florida night club after beating arch rivals Canada 2-1 in overtime.
Video of the team’s arrival showed captain Auston Matthews stepping off the plane first with sunglasses on and his gold medal around his neck. Others from the team followed to a few cheers in the terminal at Miami International Airport.
From there, the team will travel to nighttime hotspot E11EVEN for an open bar celebration throughout the evening.
The team’s plane was initially set to land in New York City on Monday. However, a blizzard that dumped over a foot of snow in the area forced the athletes to change their plans and head to Florida.
On Tuesday, the team is set to travel to Washington DC at the request of President Donald Trump – who will meet with the players at the White House. Trump has also invited them to attend his highly anticipated State of the Union address that evening.
Team USA has landed in Miami after winning the gold medal in men’s hockey at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Sunday afternoon (pictured above: captain Auston Matthews)
The United States’ men’s team beat rivals Canada 2-1 in overtime for their first gold in 46 years
New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winner, takes pictures with fans
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes was the one to score the medal-winning goal in 3-on-3 overtime in Milan to mark the United States’ first gold in the sport since 1980 in Lake Placid after the ‘Miracle on Ice.’
Between 1980 and 2026, the United States had lost a pair of heartbreaking gold medal games in 2002 in Salt Lake City and in 2010 in Vancouver.
Both of those losses were to Canada, who had never lost to the United States in the knockout phases of the Olympics prior to this game.
Despite Canada outplaying the US for most of the contest, goalie Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head and stopped 41 of the 42 shots he faced.
After the game, the locker room atmosphere instantly took on a political tone as FBI director Kash Patel was seen partying with the players before Trump spoke to the team on the phone.
In the process, Trump made a joke at the expense of the gold-medal-winning US women’s hockey team – a team that has won three gold medals in the time it took the men’s team to win one.
When inviting the men’s team to the State of the Union, Trump told the players, ‘We have, I must tell you, we are going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that. I do believe I would probably be impeached (if he didn’t invite them).’
The men’s players laughed at the joke and instantly accepted the invitation.
The team will then head to Washington, DC to attend President Trump’s State of the Union
FBI director Kash Patel was seen partying in the locker room with the team after the game
On Monday, a spokesperson for the women’s hockey team announced that they would not be attending the speech.
‘We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,’ a USA hockey spokesperson was quoted as saying by NBC.
‘They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.’
They will not be attending, however, ‘due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments’.