Team USA returns home to hero’s welcome after winning gold medal

MIAMI -- Team USA is back home.

The United States men’s hockey team landed at Miami International Airport on Monday afternoon, a little more than 24 hours after they won the gold medal for the first time since 1980 with a 2-1 overtime win against rival Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Their plane was greeted by a water salute from the Miami-Dade County fire department, with Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava waiting to greet the players, coaches, and staff as they deplaned.

“Feeling great. A little tired, but good to be home,’’ said Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, who was the captain of Team USA. “I don’t think any of us realize the magnitude of everything that has happened in the past 24 hours.

“Coming here and seeing all the support is incredible. Representing the U.S. is an honor, and we’re all just ecstatic.’’

After clearing customs, Team USA was greeted by a dozen television cameras and dozens of fans and well-wishers who gathered to cheer them on.

Matthew Tkachuk, star of the hometown Florida Panthers, got the biggest cheers, although Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime winner Sunday, got plenty of attention as well.

“It has been a whirlwind, amazing, a dream of ours,” said Tkachuk, who came out not long after his younger brother Brady. “Such an amazing way to unite the country. We felt the support from across the Atlantic. Now we’re back on home soil, we felt it the minute the wheels hit the ground. Excited to be back in the greatest country in the world, and excited to celebrate.”

Although the NHL season resumes on Wednesday, Team USA has more celebrations planned before rejoining their teams.

Team USA was originally supposed to fly to New York before going their separate ways, but severe snowstorms in the northeast forced a redirect to sunny South Florida.

That will allow most of the team to celebrate much like the Panthers have the past two summers after winning the Stanley Cup.

“Yes, they are going to celebrate,’’ mayor Levine Cava said. “This is the place everyone wants to be, so it’s a great destination for them on their way home.’’

Team USA plans on dining together at a local steakhouse later Monday night before hitting up a popular nightclub near downtown Miami that the Panthers celebrated at the past two summers. There is also a small party planned on Miami Beach on Monday.

“It’s great to be back,’’ New York Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said, his gold medal draped around his neck. “This is everything we could have ever dreamed of. So much fun. We’re all still just trying to let it soak in a bit. It really has not yet.’’

After winning gold, President Donald Trump invited the team to the State of the Union address on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Many will be flying there on Tuesday.

“This is awesome, just a great reception here at home,” Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski said. “It’s always nice to be back in America.’’

After Tuesday, however, the NHL is back to business, and that would include players who just wrapped up the Olympics on Sunday.

Many teams, like Tkachuk’s Panthers, are in a fight to make the postseason.

The Panthers entered the break eight points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

Florida (29-25-3) will host Matthews and the Maple Leafs (27-21-9) on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, TSN4, TVAS).

”We have like two days, and it’s, ‘Let’s go.’ We don’t have a choice,’’ said Florida general manager Bill Zito, an assistant GM on Team USA. “I think everyone is going to be able to get back into it.”