USA Men's Hockey Touches Down With Gold, South Beach Celebration Begins

Team USA hit U.S. soil Monday -- and instead of battling a blizzard, they stormed Miami with gold medals and party plans.

After beating Canada 2-1 in OT to win their first men’s hockey gold since 1980, the Americans were supposed to fly to NYC … but a monster winter storm wrecked those arrangements. So instead, the champs are getting palm trees and bottle service!

The gold medalists landed with a warm welcome at Miami International Airport just after 1 PM local time … and they told reporters on scene they were a little tired from their ongoing celebrations.

“It still feels pretty surreal,” Auston Matthews said. “I don’t think we really realized the magnitude of everything that’s happened in the last 24 hours … seeing all the support from back home, it’s incredible what this team was able to accomplish.”

The party’s been going since the final buzzer ... champagne showers, beer cans popping, music blasting and guys huddling around a phone in the locker room to hear President Donald Trump congratulate them.

“We definitely were honored to represent him and the hundreds of millions of Americans across the country,” Matthew Tkachuk said.

Jack Hughes -- who buried the OT winner with a dagger to stun Canada -- said there was no question he would remain in the game after spittin’ chicklets from losing his front tooth.

“I just was feeling around in my mouth and disappointed I lost my teeth. But it is what it is now," he said. “I’m going to fix these things. I want my good smile back.”

But first, the Americans will rightfully celebrate their gold before NHL play resumes Wednesday.

The party spot? E11EVEN Miami. The Olympic heroes are slated to roll through on Monday night -- and based on what we saw from the locker room, things could get rowdy.

They also plan to have team dinner at COTE, a Korean steakhouse, and take a double-decker bus cruise down South Beach on the way as if they just won the Stanley Cup.

The men’s victory comes after the U.S. women beat Canada in OT, too. Same 2-1 score.