Team USA received a congratulatory phone call from President Donald Trump after its 2-1 win over Canada to take gold in men’s hockey for the first time since 1980.
“He just spoke to the group expressing how proud he was of the group and congratulating everybody on the win,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously this game in a lot of ways was an inspiration to our country.
“I can’t tell you how many texts I’ve received over the last day or so about watch parties at 8 in the morning. I think from a viewership standpoint in the United States, there were a lot of people paying attention, the president included.”
Trump similarly called Team USA before last year’s 4 Nations final, which it lost to Canada against a far more political backdrop. That tournament came amid threats from the White House to annex Canada as the 51st state, and the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ was loudly booed in Montreal before both of Team USA’s games at the Bell Centre.
