The USA hockey brotherhood carried Johnny Hockey with them all the way to the gold: Mary Katharine Ham

Reps. Russell Fry, R-S.C., and Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., spoke with Fox News Digital about what it means to have the gold medal-winning U.S. men's Olympic hockey team at the State of the Union.

There will be two iconic pictures of the celebration after Team USA’s overtime Gold-Medal win Sunday in hockey. In one, the man who scored the golden goal, Jack Hughes, smiles into the stands, shattered front teeth, fist raised in celebration, a flag draped over his shoulders— the picture of grit and glory. 

But elsewhere on the ice, in that moment, two of his teammates were planning the second iconic photo. After the Star-Spangled Banner rang out, the team gathered for a shot at center ice. Zach Werenski and Dylan Larkin skated toward the stands, gesturing to the family of their fallen former teammate, Johnny Gaudreau. Each man hoisted a dark-haired toddler over the rails and onto the ice. They folded Gaudreau’s children, 3-year-old Noa and 2-year-old Johnny Jr., into the team picture as Gaudreau’s widow, Meredith, and his parents watched from the stands. 

Auston Matthews (34) of the United States, Zach Werenski (8) of the United States and Matthew Tkachuk (19) of the United States hold up the jersey of John Gaudreau after defeating Canada in the men's ice hockey gold medal game during the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on Feb. 22, 2026. (Amber Searls/Imagn Images)

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Sunday’s hard-fought win against rival Canada felt fated in a lot of ways. It was played on George Washington’s birthday on America’s 250th. It was one year after the USA lost to Canada in the finals of the 4 Nations Face-Off, setting up an Olympic grudge match for the