U.S. women’s hockey star Kelly Pannek happily affirmed Tuesday her team missed President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address due to logistical challenges and a joke he made while on a video call with the U.S. men’s team had nothing to do with the absence.
The Olympic gold medal-winning team member said a full invitation has been issued for a future date while acknowledging the challenges the team faced:
“I know, like, later on, there’ll be a full invite for all Team USA athletes to go to the White House like there has been in the past,” hockey veteran Pannek told CBS News during a practice with her pro team in Minneapolis.
When pushed on whether she wants the women’s team to receive their own White House invite, Pannek responded, “We want it to be about how great of an experience it was for us. You know, having team gold medals come out of USA hockey. It’s something we’ve never done before.”
As Breitbart News reported, the men’s and women’s hockey teams made history in Milan after they both beat Canada for the gold, making it the first Winter Olympics since 1980 that both U.S. squads won.
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While the men immediately accepted Trump’s invitation to go to the White House and State of the Union, a spokesperson for the women’s team initially declined due to prior commitments.
“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 said. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate.”
The spokesperson added, “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
Trump drew criticism from some after he called the men’s team immediately after their Sunday gold medal match to congratulate them and ask to host them in Washington, DC.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump joked when extending the invitation. If he did not invite the women as well, “I do believe I probably would be impeached,” he chuckled, garnering laughter from the athletes.
Gold medalist Team United States pose after the medal ceremony for the Ice Hockey Women following the Women’s Gold Medal match between the United States and Canada on day 13 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 19, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
For her part, Pannek said the men’s and women’s teams “felt like” one family while in Italy, and have nothing but mutual admiration for one another.
“It really did feel like that, you know, full team USA. And that’s part of the great thing about being at the Olympics.”
The earliest the U.S. women could make a White House visit would be in late spring after the conclusion of the PWHL season, AP reports.
The U.S. won 12 gold medals in Milan Cortina, with women playing a hand in eight of them. The women’s hockey team outscored opponents 33-2 on its way to the top of the podium.
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