Lightning's Jake Guentzel talks Olympic gold, passing on White House

Eduardo A. Encina, Tampa Bay Times on Feb 25, 2026

Published in Hockey

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TAMPA, Fla. — This has certainly been a hectic four days for Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel, from winning an Olympic gold medal for Team USA, to the politically fueled controversy circling the team that followed and then opening a stretch of 27 games in 50 days to round out the NHL regular season.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Guentzel said Wednesday ahead of the Lightning’s first game out of the Olympic break against Toronto. “It’s been tough. It’s stressful, it’s exciting, it’s nerve-wracking, all at the same time. ... I can’t even put into words what it meant to be over there and to be a part of the Olympics.”

In the first Winter Games featuring NHL players in a dozen years, Guentzel returned to Tampa as a gold medalist following Sunday’s 2-1 overtime win over Canada in the final, adding to a resume that also includes winning a Stanley Cup as a rookie with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017.

Asked how the two biggest achievements a hockey player can reach compared, Guentzel said they are “both unbelievably special, and it’s hard to point to one or the other.” He added that the opportunity to represent one’s country on the highest stage in sport is extraordinary, and being able to make history by winning Olympic gold in both men’s and women’s hockey stood out.

“When you get to do it for your country, and especially against Canada in that kind of environment and in that kind of game after the women did it, too, before,” Guentzel said. “We went there to go 2 for 2 with the men and the women, and we did that, so that’s pretty cool for us to do that for the first time in history.”

Team USA then became the subject of criticism when a video was posted of President Donald Trump congratulating the men and inviting the group to the White House and to attend the State of the Union. Trump added that he had to invite the women’s team as well or he’d get impeached. Some players laughed.

Guentzel was one of five Team USA players who did not go to Washington, prioritizing an extra day of rest, being with his family and preparing for an intense remaining regular season schedule.

“It was just kind of a timing thing for me and my family,” Guentzel said in a statement before taking questions Wednesday. “I was definitely not denying the request to go, as it would obviously be a dream come true to go. I was fortunate to go in 2017 when Trump was in office.

“But just thought with the games (coming up), three in four (days), we got a lot of games coming up the rest of the year, it’s gonna be a tough schedule. ... Thought it’d be good to kind of come home, rest and recover and try to spend some time with my family before we get going.”

A Lightning team that went into the break with a 19-1-1 record in their previous 21 games returns to play with a back-to-back — Wednesday at home against division-rival Toronto and then Thursday at Carolina — then plays upstart Atlantic foe Buffalo at home Saturday before going on the road to Minnesota, Winnipeg, Toronto and Buffalo over a six-day span.

The Lightning (37-14-4) own the top point percentage in the Eastern Conference and entered Wednesday leading the Atlantic by six points over Montreal and Detroit (72 points). But Buffalo (70 points) and Boston (69 points) sit just behind them in the two wild-card spots.

In his second season with the Lightning, Guentzel has 26 goals and 60 points in 55 games. Over the past 25 games — a stretch in which the Lightning have gone 20-3-2 — Guentzel has 12 goals and 29 points and is plus-13.

“The NHL schedule doesn’t really help us out, some of these guys, we’ve got to play the first game back,” Guentzel said. “It’s tough when you get back Monday night and you’re here Wednesday after a long flight and time change. I’m just ready to get going and excited for the push.”

The Lightning had eight players in the Olympics representing seven nations. Jon Cooper coached Canada, and general manager Julien BriseBois was part of Canada’s management team.

After Team USA’s win over Canada, Cooper congratulated Guentzel, with focus turning to big opportunities that could lie ahead for them with the Lightning in chasing a Stanley Cup.

“It was just more, ‘Well, hopefully we’ll do this together sometime soon,’” Guentzel said. “It was really nice for him to kind of seek out for me and congratulate like that.”

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