Team USA closed out the 2026 Winter Olympics on a high note by defeating Canada to earn the gold medal in the men’s hockey event. New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored a game-winning goal in overtime to give the Americans the win, but throughout the tournament, it was his older brother, Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was arguably Team USA’s best player.
While this major victory deserves to be celebrated, there has been quite a bit of controversy in the wake of this win. Team USA received more backlash when it was revealed the team would be accepting an invitation from President Donald Trump to attend the State of the Union on Tuesday night, which led Quinn to address the decision when recently asked about it.
Quinn Hughes Addresses Backlash Over State of the Union Decision
Hughes was Team USA’s top defenseman throughout the tournament, but he will likely be remembered most for his game-winning overtime goal against Sweden that booked the Americans their spot in the semifinal game against Slovakia. Without that, this historic win over Canada may have never come to fruition.
After taking down the Canadians, Team USA received backlash for hopping on a call with Trump, in which he made a controversial joke about inviting the women’s hockey team, which also defeated Canada in its own gold medal game, to the State of the Union as well. In the wake of this incident, the women’s team declined Trump’s invitation to Washington.
The men’s team, on the other hand, has accepted the invitation, much to the dismay of fans on social media. When asked about the decision, Hughes expressed his excitement for the opportunity to attend the State of the Union, while also praising the women’s team for its own major accomplishment during the Olympics.
“Yeah, we’re excited to go,” Hughes said on “Good Morning America” when asked if he’d be attending the State of the Union. “Something you don’t get to do every Tuesday. It’s going to be special for us, but I’m glad you mentioned the women’s team again. We’re extremely happy for them. Obviously, a lot is going on on social media surrounding our team and their team. But the last couple we’ve done a lot of training with them and got to know a lot of those girls really well.”
Quinn Hughes Hoping to Return to Wild for Thursday Night Action
GettyST PAUL, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 14: Quinn Hughes #43 of the Minnesota Wild reacts to his goal against the Boston Bruins in the third period at Grand Casino Arena on December 14, 2025 in St Paul, Minnesota. The Wild defeated the Bruins 6-2. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
The decision to attend the State of the Union is a double-edged sword for the men’s team. On one hand, it is a unique opportunity that not many folks get, but the absence of the women’s team is quite glaring. No matter what call this group made, they would be irritating a specific segment of their fanbase.
Later this week, Hughes and the rest of his Team USA teammates will get back to their NHL squads, as the league prepares resume play after taking a break for the Winter Olympics. The Wild will be squaring off against the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET, with the hope being that Hughes will be back in action immediately after his strong showing during the Games in Italy.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Quinn Hughes Responds to Social Media Backlash Before Team USA Attends State of the Union appeared first on Heavy Sports.