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NEWARK, New Jersey – It’s been a long few days for Buffalo Sabers star Tage Thompson. He scored a pivotal goal for Team USA in the team’s semifinal match against Slovakia, and then helped the U.S. defeat Canada on Sunday to capture the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Thompson admitted after Wednesday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Buffalo’s first NHL game since the Olympic break, that he was tired, rusty and slow on the ice. But most fans wouldn’t know that. Thompson scored Buffalo’s first goal of the night and assisted on the second as the Sabers emerged with a 2-1 victory over the Devils.
Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, right, and Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabers gesture to fans before an NHL hockey game in Newark, New Jersey, on Feb. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Jack Hughes, a Devils star and Team USA skater who scored the winning goal in overtime to defeat Canada, was honored by the team during a pregame ceremony. Hughes made an incredibly graceful move and brought Thompson to center ice, so the crowd could cheer on the pair.
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Still, as impressive as Thompson’s return to the ice was, the story for much of the media following Team USA’s historic gold medal revolves around the team’s trip to the White House and President Trump’s appearance during Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
White House visit and MAGA hat photo spark backlash
Thompson, in particular, found himself in the crosshairs of the radical left media mob because he was photographed wearing Trump’s famous “Make America Great Again” hat alongside press secretary Karoline Leavitt and several teammates.
Karoline Leavitt shared a photo on social media posing with Assistant Director of Communications Margo Martin and several members of Team USA. The photo included Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Jack and Quinn Hughes, and Buffalo Sabers forward Tage Thompson. Both Hughes brothers wore red and white American caps, while Thompson sported a “Make America Great Again” cap, sparking widespread reaction on social media. (Karoline Leavitt via Instagram)
I asked Thompson after the game if he had any response to the criticism about his cap choice.
“I’m proud to be an American and I have my own faith, my own beliefs, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions and beliefs too,” Thompson said diplomatically as he sat at his locker after the game. “I think we should be able to live in peace knowing that not everyone will agree with you.”
Speaking of Thompson’s faith, I also asked him about his Christian beliefs that helped shape everything in his life.
“Jesus is everything to me. Obviously, we’re imperfect. We’re all sinners and we need him. And I fall short every day, and he’s the one I trust,” Thompson said.
Tage Thompson (72) of the Buffalo Sabers celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, New Jersey, on February 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
“I think when you have that sense of hope, the grace and mercy that I receive every day from him is something that gives me peace and joy in life, no matter what I do. And he has blessed me with this game and this opportunity to play the game that I love at a high level, a beautiful family and friends, people that I love surrounding me. And I’m very grateful.”
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I think American hockey fans can confidently say that they are grateful to Tage Thompson and all the players on the Team USA men’s hockey team who helped deliver one of the most monumental gold medals in US Winter Olympic history.
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