Olympics

One of the biggest assists for the U.S. men's hockey team didn't come on the Olympic ice -- it came courtesy of Pat McAfee, who let the gold medal winners rage in Miami on his dime!!

A video started making rounds on social media Tuesday night ... showing McAfee addressing the team and thanking them for representing the country as they celebrated at E11EVEN nightclub.

McAfee's message then revealed that he teamed up with the club to make sure they didn't have to spend a dollar to have a good time. We're told that by the time they walked out the door, the final total was around $150K.

A TON of American fans set their alarms to catch the Red, White and Blue's gold medal win ... with NBC announcing the 2026 Winter Olympics finale averaged 20.7 million viewers!!

The folks over at the Peacock released the numbers for the contest on Tuesday ... saying the game was the most-watched pre-9 AM ET sporting event in U.S. history.

The audience only grew once the showdown reached overtime -- with the network saying "An astounding average of 26.0 million viewers on NBC and Peacock were watching between 10:45-11 AM ET" as Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal ... which ended a 46-year gold medal drought for the men's team.

The celebration tour for the United States men's hockey team continues ... 'cause the gold medalists just met up with President Donald Trump at the Oval Office!!

A video shared by POTUS' staff showed the scene shortly after 3 PM EST -- about six hours before he is set to give the State of the Union address, which Team USA is slated to attend.

It was a grand welcome to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As the winners checked out the Presidential Hall of Fame installed by Trump along the West Colonnade -- "Free Bird" was blaring over the loudspeakers.

After partying their butts off at E11EVEN in Miami just hours ago, the United States men's hockey team is already on their way to Washington, D.C. to link up with President Donald Trump ahead of Tuesday's State of the Union address -- and they're traveling courtesy of a military plane!!

Matthew Tkachuk shared a photo on Instagram as the team got ready to board the Air Force Boeing 757 bound for the nation's capital -- and it seems everyone made the early morning call time for the trip.

It was wheels up shortly before noon for the two-and-a-half-hour flight from the 305 to 202 ... where the team is expected to stop by the White House before sitting in on Trump's speech.

Ellen Hughes -- Team USA women's hockey player development consultant and Jack and Quinn's mom -- is giving her take on President Trump's locker room joke following Sunday's gold medal game ... saying what really matters to both squads is "unity."

Hughes -- a former member of the women's national hockey team herself -- was asked about POTUS' controversial comments to the men's team on Tuesday's episode of "Today" ... and while there are plenty of social media users pissed about the phone call, Hughes thinks the recent success of both organizations can bring folks together.

"At the end of the day, it's just about the country," Hughes said, "and the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country."

Team USA’s toothless hero Jack Hughes is making it clear there's nothing but love between the men's and women's gold medal-winning squads ... saying any backlash being thrown around is the result of haters hating.

Fresh off burying the game-winner at the 2026 Winter Olympics -- while bleeding and missing two front teeth -- Hughes told the Daily Mail the D.C. invite from President Donald Trump is nothing but an honor.

“We’re so proud to represent the U.S.,” Hughes said as the team partied in Miami. “When you get the chance to go to the White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s so patriotic."

"No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go!”

Team USA’s men’s hockey team took a spin through Miami on their own personal victory lap Monday night after clinching the gold at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Check out the clip -- the gold medalists were thrilled to party at the iconic E11EVEN nightclub ... and proudly belted out the "Star Spangled Banner" with the hundreds of thrilled onlookers packing the place.

Team USA was decked out in their red, white and blue, and even brought an American flag with them to show how proud they were to represent the country. It was a huge shebang for the boys -- who also indulged with drinks and cigars as they toasted to the gold.

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.

Ice hockey star Jack Hughes turned the ice red before he turned it gold -- flashing a blood-soaked, tooth-jacked grin after burying Team USA’s crowning goal ... but one top doc says that smile might need a whole lot more than a victory lap to recover!

Dr. Jason Auerbach -- board-certified oral and maxillofacial surgeon for the New Jersey Devils -- broke it down for us on "TMZ Live" Monday, telling us the 24-year-old looks like he fractured his left front tooth, possibly shoved another out of place, and may have even rattled his upper jaw. Ouch.

Watch the clip -- the doc goes full dental dictionary on us, spelling out how Hughes is probably staring down serious restorative work, starting with a quick temporary fix while swelling peaks in the first 48 hours.

Team USA's thrilling OT win against Canada for Olympic gold has fans from sea to shining sea feeling damn proud to be American ... 'cause Spotify tells TMZ Sports that streams for pro-'Merica tunes have skyrocketed following the Olympic closing ceremony, including the squad's anthem, "Free Bird!"

According to statistics provided by the streaming giant, streams of Lynyrd Skynyrd "increased more than 100% on Spotify in the U.S. -- with streams spiking 140% on Sunday."

Despite the early wake-up call for the Olympic gold medal match -- which began at 8 AM Eastern and 5 AM Pacific -- once the game wrapped, fans flocked to the app in droves to listen to some patriotic tunes.

It’s been a brutal, two-week nightmare for Lindsey Vonn … and now we know just how close she came to losing her leg.

The Olympic legend revealed Monday in an Instagram video she finally made it out of the hospital after suffering what she called the “most extreme and painful and challenging injury” of her life -- “times a hundred” -- following her crash at the games.

Vonn didn’t hold back on the gruesome details … explaining she shattered her tibia, fractured her fibular head and tibial plateau -- saying “everything was in pieces.” But the real danger came from compartment syndrome, a condition where swelling and trapped blood can crush muscle, nerves and tissue.

FBI director Kash Patel really let loose with the USA Men's Olympic hockey team Sunday ... he was seen partying with the newly minted gold medalists in the locker room after their big win.

Check out the video ... Patel -- who plays a bit of hockey himself -- is absolutely euphoric, appearing to chug part of a beer and christening the players around him with what was left.

One player even drapes a gold medal around Patel's neck while he's completely beside himself with joy.

For the first time since the Miracle on Ice, the United States Men's Hockey team has won the gold medal at the Winter Olympics ... and the team is partying accordingly as they celebrate their first Olympic gold in 46 years!

It all started after Jack Hughes found the back of the net in overtime to give the Red, White and Blue the win over their rivals from up north -- Canada.

Once they got back to the locker room, the party really kicked into another gear. Footage from Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy showed them jamming out to Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)" as the drinks were flowing.

Step aside 'cuz Simone Biles is in town -- but don't think her tricks can out-perform TMZ! As you know, we got our own tricks up our sleeves 😘! Can you track down the sneaky switches?

Simone was photographed at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy -- of course accompanied by her hot hubby, NFL baller Jonathan Owens, and there appears to be some mishaps.

Here's your clue: bag and jackets!

Olympic hockey continues to draw serious star power at the 2026 Winter Olympics ... and Friday's showdown between Canada and Finland was no exception -- as Tom Brady and Wayne Gretzky watched the action from the same box in Milan!

The football and hockey G.O.A.T.s took in the game as Team Canada rallied from 2 goals down to defeat Finland in OT, advancing to the Gold medal game against the United States.

For Gretzky -- a native of Brantford, Canada -- it was anything but smooth sailing ... as he was visibly stressed watching his fellow Canucks secure their spot in Sunday's finale.

It was a dangerous day at the Winter Olympics, marked by several scary accidents -- including Polish skater Kamila Sellier taking a blade to the face during her race, forcing her to withdraw from the competition with a gruesome injury.

The frightening moment was caught on live broadcast ... showing Sellier competing in the women's 1500 meters at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Sellier -- a two-time World Championship medalist -- fell to the ice during the race when the blade of Team USA's Kristen Santos-Griswold struck her face inadvertently with her skate. The blade sliced right across Sellier's left eye, leaving a gash. Thankfully, she was wearing safety goggles, which probably saved her eye.