- Tickets Get the best tickets for NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB games and more on Tickets MARCA!
- NHL US hockey team hero Jack Hughes takes his first hard hit after returning from the Olympics
- NHL The murder case of the hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother takes another turn after new evidence report
After winning a hard competition like the 2026 Winter Games, most of the Team USA hockey squad had another activity to do. An activity that, for some, needed more sacrifice than the training required to win the gold medal.
For Jake Oettinger, one of the stars that made Team USA conquer the Games after a historic 2-1 overtime victory against Canada the path home led directly back to Dallas while the rest of the team headed somewhere else.
The other part of the squad flew in the nation's capital to meet with President Donald Trump and attend the State of the Union address to get inside The White House. Alarms went off when Oettinger was absent.
The dualities of a player and a father
Standing at his locker following the Dallas Stars' morning skate at the American Airlines Center, Oettinger was quick to get rid of any speculation of a political reason. For him, the decision was purely a matter of logistics and preparation. He said:
"Getting invited to the White House is a tremendous honor. But I've basically been living in Italy for a month. I have a huge stretch run. I wasn't playing much
During the tournament, Oettinger was the primary backup to Connor Hellebuyck. While he stood on the podium with gold around his neck, he did not enjoy any game action in Italy. With the NHL resuming its schedule after a three-week stop, Oettinger felt the need to get his game ready to go for a Stars team currently chasing the Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division.
He broke his silence offering a refreshingly human look at the difficult balance between professional duty, national honor, and fatherhood.
A gift of three-months old
Beyond the sport reasons, Oettinger revealed a much more personal motivator for skipping the D.C. festivities. He recently became a father.
"I also have a 3-month-old baby at home that I've been traveling the world with. That's what went into that. I think those guys had a great time there, but that's why I didn't go
For a player who has spent the last month in an Olympic "bubble" in Europe, the pull of family and the exhaustion of international travels outweighed the allure of a photo op in the Rose Garden.
His absence was just logistical. However, they were even more pronounced for the U.S. Women's Team, who also captured gold against Canada. Despite an invitation from President Trump during a congratulatory phone call to the locker room, the women's team declined.