US Hockey Teams Postgame Statement Sparks Controversy at White House

US President Donald Trump has congratulated the US men’s hockey team on their gold medal win at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026, sharing a social media post featuring an image of a bald eagle and a goose.

The White House posted the image in response to a statement made by then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2025, which said “You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.” The US team defeated Canada 2-1 in a sudden-death overtime win in Italy.

Some Canadians have criticized the White House’s post, with journalist David Rider commenting on the dwindling number of Canadian visitors to the US. Trump also wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Congratulations to our great U.S.A. Ice Hockey team. THEY WON THE GOLD. WOW! LOTS OF WINNING!!! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

The US president has been critical of Canada, imposing or threatening additional tariffs on Canadian imports and making comments about annexing the country as the 51st state. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently criticized Trump’s views on global integration, stating that “the public good” Washington produces is no longer acceptable.

Trump appeared to take a special interest in Sunday’s game, sharing multiple posts about it. The White House also shared several posts about the US victory on their X account.

Source: Al Jazeera