USA Hockey Star Jake Guentzel Silences Mob

TAMPA, Fla. — Jake Guentzel didn’t duck the questions Wednesday morning. He faced them head-on.

After the morning skate at Amalie Arena, the Tampa Bay Lightning winger met with reporters and addressed the criticism that bubbled up after he did not attend the State of the Union address and a subsequent White House event tied to Team USA’s recent gold medal celebration.

According to video and quotes by reporters on X, Guentzel said he was “honored to receive the invite” and reiterated his respect for the office. He also made clear the decision came down to timing, recovery and family.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to go before with a Cup team,” Guentzel said after skate. “It’s always an honor. This time, I just wanted to spend a little time with family and get some rest. We’ve got a big stretch coming up here.”

Matter-of-fact. Calm. Direct. And then he pivoted back to hockey.

The timing matters. Guentzel recently returned from international competition in Milan and a brief stop in Miami before rejoining Tampa for the stretch run. The Lightning, who enter the week atop the Eastern Conference standings, begin a demanding three-games-in-four-days swing Wednesday at home vs. Toronto before traveling to Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Recovery is not a luxury in late February. It’s survival.

Per statistics entering Wednesday, Guentzel is producing at better than a point-per-game pace this season and ranks among Tampa Bay’s leaders in goals, shots on goal and power-play production. The Lightning’s power play sits among the NHL’s top units, converting north of 25%, with Guentzel playing a prominent role on the top group. At five-on-five, his expected-goals rate and shot generation remain strong, reinforcing why coach Jon Cooper leans on him in high-leverage minutes.