Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel is speaking out after being absent from the U.S. men’s hockey team’s visit to the White House and President Trump’s State of the Union address.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Guentzel asked for a moment to deliver a brief statement.

“It was just kind of a timing thing for me and my family,” Guentzel said in a clip shared on X/Twitter. “I was definitely not denying the request to go. It would obviously be a dream come true to go. I was fortunate to go in 2017 when Trump was in office… Two weeks of Olympic break, just thought it would be a good idea to come home, rest and recover, and try to spend some time with my family before we get going.”

According to multiple reports, five Team USA players who helped secure gold against Canada were absent from President Donald Trump’s White House invitation following the historic win.

Jake Guentzel was one of them.

The rest were: Kyle Connor, Brock Nelson, Jackson LaCombe and Jake Oettinger.

A third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2013, Guentzel made an immediate impact by winning the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2017, leading all playoff scorers with 13 goals.

Over his career, he has surpassed the 600-career point milestone and recorded three seasons with at least 40 goals.

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