Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger returned to Dallas instead of joining Team USA on Tuesday at the White House and the State of the Union address, three days after the United States secured a 2-1 overtime victory over Canada to win gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
The 27-year-old, whose 23 victories rank third among NHL netminders this season, was back on the ice as the Stars resumed play following the NHL's three-week Olympic hiatus. He practiced with the team and took part in Wednesday morning's skate at the American Airlines Center, but did not play in Dallas' 4–1 win over the Seattle Kraken. With the victory, the Stars improved to 58-35-14, behind only the Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division.
“Getting invited to the White House is a tremendous honor,” said Oettinger after the morning skate. “I've basically been living in Italy for a month. I have a huge stretch run. I wasn't playing much.”
Serving as the backup behind Connor Hellebuyck, Oettinger did not see game action during the tournament.
“I wanted to get back and get my game ready to go,” Oettinger said. “I also have a 3-month-old baby at home that I’ve been traveling the world with, so that's what went into that, I think those guys had a great time there (at the White House), but that's why I didn't go.”
The U.S. men's team received its invitation from President Donald Trump during a phone call placed to the locker room following the gold-medal win. Trump also joked during the call that he would need to invite the U.S. women's team, which also won Olympic gold against Canada. The women declined due to travel logistics, as many were scheduled to arrive in North America late Monday and reportedly learned of the invitation only late Sunday night.
Five men's players skipped the Washington trip to rejoin their NHL clubs ahead of Wednesday's games: Oettinger, Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe, Jake Guentzel, and Kyle Connor. Three others, including captain Auston Matthews, attended the White House but did not appear at the State of the Union. The remainder of the roster toured the White House and attended the presidential address after landing in Miami and traveling to Washington, D.C.
