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Anaheim Duck Skips U.S. Hockey Team Visit to White House
The United States men’s hockey team was in Washington, D.C., to celebrate their gold medal win over Canada, but one Anaheim Duck wasn’t in attendance.
Defenseman Jackson LaCombe is one of five players who didn’t make the trip, as reported in Yahoo! Sports.
The others are Kyle Connor, Jake Guentzel, Brock Nelson and Jake Oettinger.
At least five US men’s hockey team members have declined Trump’s White House invitation, including Jake Guentzel, Brock Nelson, Jake Oettinger, Kyle Connor, and Jackson Lacombe. pic.twitter.com/hQiuzD1qHa
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) February 24, 2026
Those who did attend are also expected at the State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Why Did LaCombe Skip the White House visit?
Those who skipped the White House visit haven’t publicly commented on why they chose to do so, but the American hockey team has been enveloped by political controversy in recent days.
Not only did FBI Director Kash Patel celebrate with the men’s team after their win, but President Donald Trump spoke to the team via phone after their victory.
On that phone call, Trump disparaged the women’s national team, which also won a gold medal.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump told the men’s team, as reported by NBC News.
If he did not invite the women’s team, “I do believe I probably would be impeached,” he joked to laughter.
The women’s team declined a visit, citing scheduling conflicts.
Men’s hockey team member Jack Hughes has pushed back on the alleged friction.
Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reports that Hughes believes the men’s and women’s teams are “tight.”
“People are so negative about things,” he said. “I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. The same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”
Did LaCombe Skip the White House Over Something Else?
It’s also possible that LaCombe didn’t want to visit the White House for another Trump-related reason.
LaCombe is a native of Minnesota, and the Trump administration’s immigration raids have targeted the Minneapolis area.
Two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were shot and killed by federal agents.
The post Anaheim Duck Skips U.S. Hockey Team Visit to White House appeared first on LA Sports Report.
