The champagne was still flowing in Team USA’s locker room after winning men’s hockey’s first Olympic gold medal in nearly five decades when President Donald Trump called the celebration, starting the latest national culture war pitting the sports stars against one another.
After defeating Canada 2-1 on Sunday, when New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime, the team met in the locker room with FBI director Kash Patel, who reported The Athletic was invited to the celebration by Team USA general manager Bill Guerin.
In the chaos, Patel pulled out his phone to call Trump, who had invited a delegation of men to Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The president then joked that if he doesn’t invite his female teammates — who also beat Team Canada in overtime to win gold days ago — “I believe I’ll probably be impeached.”
The men roared with laughter.
The moment, captured on video, has since sparked outrage online, sparking a flurry of disagreements among the men’s group, who have appeared quick to dismiss their female counterparts for agreeing with Trump. (One player could be heard in the video saying “absolutely” when Trump said he should invite the women, while another shouted “two by two,” acknowledging the men’s and women’s gold medal wins).
The episode has become a hot topic online among fans who dissed the men for laughing at Trump’s speech and others who feel there is a rush to judgment during a moment of national unity. Meanwhile, conservatives praised the players for making unabashedly patriotic statements following the win, talking about how proud they were to be Americans.
The controversy comes amid a unique year for hockey, after the sport gained new fans with the Olympics and the popularity of “Heated Rivalry,” a romantic hockey show centered around gay relationships. The National Hockey League adopted the show as part of a multi-year effort to increase the sport’s appeal.
Despite the online backlash, it appears the men’s hockey team may be planning to head to the State of the Union after a short stop in Miami. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he would “pressure” the players by getting them seats in the House chamber, following Trump’s request to make room for the party.
An Instagram post on Tuesday from Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, a member of Team USA, appeared to show most of the team ready to board a government plane to Washington, DC And later on Tuesday, many of the Olympic team were pictured outside the White House, gold medals around their necks.
“We’re going to see them and we’re going to celebrate them tonight,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said at a news conference Tuesday about the men’s team.
The women’s group, however, declined Trump’s invitation, with a spokesperson saying the group “very much appreciates it.”[s] to be recognized for their extraordinary achievements” but were unable to attend the State of the Union due to prior commitments.” The team also did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by NBC News.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Dominik Hašek, a Hall of Fame and former NHL goaltender who has been outspoken on many issues, including the war in Ukraine, praised the women for turning down Trump’s invitation.
“Yes, your president is a great liar and deceiver who abuses his position to insult and oppress his fellow citizens,” Hašek, who is Czech, wrote in X. “However, I believe you must have shown great bravery in making this decision. Thank you for that.”
As an alternative to the State of the Union, Flavor Flav invited the women’s hockey team to Las Vegas for a “real celebration,” which he said would include “great dinners and shows and good times.” (He added that he’ll be inviting the skeleton and bobsled teams, too.)
“We’ve seen the story of the men being invited to the White House, and the women’s team not being invited,” Flavor Flav wrote in what he called an “official invitation” sent to the women’s hockey team.
“If there is interest for the team to come to Las Vegas to celebrate with Flav – we will get it eventually and make it a good thing,” added the invitation.
It is not clear whether these women have accepted Flavor Flav’s invitation.
Jack Hughes and his brother, Quinn Hughes, who emerged as the most recognizable names on Team USA throughout the Games, are now facing scrutiny for their reaction to Trump’s comments.
“We’re proud to represent the US and if you get a chance to go to the White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans and that’s patriotism,” Jack Hughes told the Daily Mail on Monday. “Regardless of your views, we’re very excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that.”
There were critical comments about the management during the games. Skier Hunter Hess said representing the US is “a little difficult” right now, given “obviously there’s a lot going on that I’m not a big fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t.” In response, Trump called Hess a “real bully.”
The Hughes siblings have also been criticized for laughing at Trump’s comments because their mother, Ellen Hughes, is a famous feminist who works as an adviser to a women’s group.
He told the “TODAY” show that the double gold medals “say a lot about USA hockey and where our game is in this beautiful country.”
When asked about the video of the men’s team talking to Trump, he said it was “about the country,” and said people from both sides of the field were celebrating the men’s and women’s gold medals.
“If you could see what we see inside, the men and women sharing, you know, the bedrooms and the halls and the halls and the meeting and the meeting and the way the women congratulated the men and the way the men congratulated the women – it’s all this,” she said. “And other things they can’t control, they care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country.”
Despite the setback, Jack Hughes told “TODAY” on Tuesday that the support he has felt since scoring that golden goal has been overwhelming.
He went on to say that when he scored the winning goal, he thought of Megan Keller, who scored the golden goal a few days ago to win the women’s championship. On Monday, Keller posted a photo on Instagram of the two athletes hugging their gold medals.
“If there was a camera on me and Quinn when the women’s team won, we look like the biggest fans ever,” Hughes said. “We were just jumping and looking down.
