Gold medalist Jake Oettinger prioritizes immediate NHL readiness, foregoing White House honors to prepare for Wednesday's Kraken clash.
As Team USA celebrated their gold medal victory with coaches and staff, the group received a congratulatory phone call from Donald Trump. During the call, President Trump praised the team for its achievement and invited the players and staff to visit the White House in recognition of the championship. While the invitation was considered an honor, not every player will be making the trip to Washington.
With the NHL schedule set to resume Wednesday, several players have opted to return to their respective clubs to prepare for the restart of league play. Among them is Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars. Although Oettinger did not see game action during the tournament, he earned a gold medal as a member of Team USA’s roster.
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Oettinger joins players such as Jake Guentzel of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Kyle Connor of the Winnipeg Jets, who also chose to forgo the White House visit and instead focus on getting back into game shape.
Despite returning to the club early, Oettinger is not expected to start immediately. Backup goaltender Casey DeSmith is projected to get the start Wednesday against the Seattle Kraken. Oettinger’s first start following the international break is expected to come Saturday when the Stars take on the Nashville Predators.
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