McDavid on the Metro in Milan: Canada's NHL players stick out at the Olympics

MILAN (AP) — Even though Bo Horvat occasionally takes the train into New York City from his home on Long Island, it's not usually surrounded by two dozen of his teammates.

That changed at the Olympics when he and Canada's NHL players spent their day off from practicing riding the metro in Milan on a tour of the city. Photos and videos of Connor McDavid and others popped up all over social media, as some of the most recognizable athletes rubbed elbows with the locals and tourists.

“We were crammed in there like sardines,” Horvat said. "We were all in red coats and sticking out like sore thumbs. I think anybody could’ve recognized us taking the subway. It was really cool to be a part of.”

Captain Sidney Crosby organized the excursion to the Duomo and short-track speedskating, according to Hockey Canada general manager Doug Armstrong, and Horvat said goaltender Jordan Binnington was “volun-told” he was in charge of shepherding 25 guys around town.

“He pulled through,” Horvat said of Binnington. “He was our tour guide for the day. He did a great job. He got everybody there and everybody home.”

They saw Canada take home silver in the short-track speedskating mixed team relay, falling just short of host Italy. Winger Brad Marchand, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, had never seen speedskating or any other Olympic event live before.

“To see the intensity between the laps, how fast the athletes are going, one little mistake, how it can derail a competition not only for yourself, but for other players as well, it was awesome to be there and to root on Canada,” Marchand said. “It just shows that the level of separation between winning and losing, at any level, is so small. But at this level, you’re dealing with the best of the best in every sport, and the margins for error are so small."

Some American players had their own fun away from the rink with the chance to meet Snoop Dogg, who has become one of the faces of the Olympics.

Matthew Tkachuk said Snoop had some great one-liners that “made for a hilarious 15 or 20 minutes.” There was also a motivational element.

"He’s ‘Coach Snoop’ so he was giving us some pump-up speeches," Dylan Larkin said. “Probably one of the few people I’ve met that’s kind of larger than life. You look at him, and he doesn’t even look real. It was an awesome experience.”

The U.S. returned to practice Wednesday to prepare for its opening game Thursday against Latvia, and coach Mike Sullivan revealed a top power-play unit of Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Tkachuk and Tage Thompson. The first four seemed to be automatic choices.

Thompson's ascension is notable because he did not make the 4 Nations Face-Off roster a year ago and is one of just a few newcomers. It helps that he's the tallest U.S. skater at the Olympics at 6-foot-6.

“He’s a great goal scorer (and) he has the ability to make plays,” Sullivan said, adding that Thompson being a right-handed shooter also factored into the decision. "Tage is one of those guys that’s a right shot, but he also has the skill set to play the position that we’re asking him to play.

The first day of games included some surprises, from Slovakia upsetting Finland to how heavily favored Sweden had such trouble against host Italy.

Also somewhat unexpected was how NHL star Filip Forsberg played just one shift for a minute, 7 seconds in Sweden’s opener as the team’s 13th forward.

“For us coaches and management, we’re looking at dividing into roles, players that can handle different kind of ice times, different kind of situations,” coach Sam Hallam said afterward. “Filip on the ice today would’ve been great. He can be on the ice much more next game. But if we want to go deep in this we’re gonna need everyone. ... We have ambition to go deep into this tournament. We need good players from one to 25.”

Sullivan, like at his day job coaching the New York Rangers, intends to announce his starting goaltender the morning of each game. Canada's Jon Cooper said he needed to inform his goalies who's getting the nod against Czechia before announcing it publicly. Czechia coach Radim Rulik also wouldn't say.

Connor Hellebuyck figures to start for the U.S. against Latvia and Jordan Binnington for Canada. They were in net when the teams met in the 4 Nations final, which Canada won in overtime.

Lukas Dostal is expected to start for Czechia, though Karel Vejmelka and Dan Vladar are also intriguing alternatives.

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

United States' Tage Thompson watches his shot during men's ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Rapper Snoop Dogg attends the mixed doubles round robin phase of the curling competition between the United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Canada's head coach Jon Cooper, lower right with arm raised, speaks to the team during men's ice hockey practice at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Canada forward Connor McDavid, front right, takes part in a men's ice hockey practice during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Wednesday to slap back President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada, a rare if largely symbolic rebuke of the White House agenda as Republicans joined Democrats over the objections of GOP leadership.

The tally, 219-211, was among the first times the House, controlled by Republicans, has confronted the president over a signature policy, and drew instant recrimination from Trump himself. The resolution seeks to end the national emergency Trump declared to impose the tariffs, though actually undoing the policy would require support from the president, which is highly unlikely. It next goes to the Senate.

Trump believes in the power of tariffs to force U.S. trade partners to the negotiating table. But lawmakers are facing unrest back home from businesses caught in the trade wars and constituents navigating pocketbook issues and high prices.

“Today’s vote is simple, very simple: Will you vote to lower the cost of living for the American family or will you keep prices high out of loyalty to one person -- Donald J. Trump?” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who authored the resolution.

Within minutes, as the gavel struck, Trump fired off a stern warning to those in the Republican Party who would dare to cross him.

“Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!” the president posted on social media.

The high-stakes moment provides a snapshot of the House’s unease with the president’s direction, especially ahead of the midterm elections as economic issues resonate among voters. The Senate has already voted to reject Trump’s tariffs on Canada and other countries in a show of displeasure. But both chambers would have to approve the tariff rollbacks, and send the resolution to Trump for the president's signature — or veto.

Six House Republicans voted for the resolution, and one Democrat voted against it.

From Canada, Ontario, Premier Doug Ford on social media called the vote “an important victory with more work ahead.” He thanked lawmakers from both parties “who stood up in support of free trade and economic growth between our two great countries. Let’s end the tariffs and together build a more prosperous and secure future.”

Trump recently threatened to impose a 100% tariff on goods imported from Canada over that country's proposed China trade deal, intensifying a feud with the longtime U.S. ally and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

House Speaker Mike Johnson tried to prevent this showdown.

Johnson insisted lawmakers wait for a pending Supreme Court ruling in a lawsuit about the tariffs. He engineered a complicated rules change to prevent floor action. But Johnson’s strategy collapsed late Tuesday, as Republicans peeled off during a procedural vote to ensure the Democratic measure was able to advance.

“The president’s trade policies have been of great benefit,” Johnson, R-La., had said. “And I think the sentiment is that we allow a little more runway for this to be worked out between the executive branch and the judicial branch.”

Late Tuesday evening, Johnson could be seen speaking to holdout Republican lawmakers as the GOP leadership team struggled to shore up support during a lengthy procedural vote, but the numbers lined up against him.

“We’re disappointed,” Kevin Hassett, the director of the White House’s National Economic Council, told reporters at the White House on Wednesday morning. “The president will make sure they don’t repeal his tariffs.”

The resolution put forward by Meeks would terminate the national emergency that Trump declared a year ago as one of his executive orders.

The administration claimed illicit drug flow from Canada constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat that allows the president to slap tariffs on imported goods outside the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.

The Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, said the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. is a dire national emergency and the policy must be left in place.

“Let’s be clear again about what this resolution is and what it’s not. It’s not a debate about tariffs. You can talk about those, but that’s not really what it is,” Mast said. “This is Democrats trying to ignore that there is a fentanyl crisis.”

Experts say fentanyl produced by cartels in Mexico is largely smuggled into the U.S. from land crossings in California and Arizona. Fentanyl is also made in Canada and smuggled into the U.S., but to a much lesser extent.

Ahead of voting, some rank-and-file Republican lawmakers expressed unease over the choices ahead as Democrats — and a few renegade Republicans — impressed on their colleagues the need to flex their power as the legislative branch rather than ceding so much power to the president to take authority over trade and tariff policy.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said he was unpersuaded by Johnson’s call to wait until the Supreme Court makes its decision about the legality of Trump’s tariffs. He voted for passage.

“Why doesn’t the Congress stand on its own two feet and say that we’re an independent branch?” Bacon said. “We should defend our authorities. I hope the Supreme Court does, but if we don’t do it, shame on us.”

Bacon, who is retiring rather than facing reelection, also argued that tariffs are bad economic policy.

Other Republicans had to swiftly make up their minds after Johnson's gambit — which would have paused the calendar days to prevent the measure from coming forward — was turned back.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to have to support our president,” said Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said he doesn't want to tie the president's hands on trade and would support the tariffs on Canada “at this time.”

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Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett speaks to reporters at the White House, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks during a news conference at Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)