The U.S. men’s hockey team was criticized by some for its postgame behavior after Sunday’s 2-1 victory over Canada in the gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Specifically, the team’s response to comments made by President Donald Trump during that call raised some eyebrows.
After the win, video emerged of the men’s team talking to Trump in the locker room. During the call, Trump jokingly told the players, “We’re going to have to bring a women’s team, you know. I do believe I could be impeached.” Trump’s remarks drew laughter from players in the locker room.
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The cadence of Trump’s rhetoric, coupled with the men’s team’s response, drew criticism from both sides. Some took Trump’s wording to mean he felt obligated to invite the women’s team – which also won a gold medal at the 2026 Olympics – and would do so reluctantly. Some also viewed the men’s team’s response to Trump’s comments as disrespectful to the women’s team, which achieved the same goal as the men’s team and put in a more dominant performance in their quest for the gold medal.
Quinn Hughes, who plays for the Team USA men’s hockey team, addressed the latter issue on Tuesday’s episode of “Good Morning America.” When asked about the situation, Hughes said the men’s team was “very happy” with the women’s team, per GMA.
“I’m glad you mentioned the women’s team again. We’re really happy for them. [There’s] There’s a lot of talk on social media right now about our team and their team, but we’ve done a lot of training with them over the past few summers and know a lot of the girls very well. “
Regardless of how some interpreted the call, Trump did invite the women’s hockey team to the State of the Union. A spokesperson for the women’s team said they “sincerely appreciate” the invitation but were unable to attend due to “previously scheduled academic and professional commitments,” NBC News reported.
Hughes’ mother, Ellen, also weighed in on Trump’s call with the men’s team. Ellen Hughes, who played for the U.S. Lacrosse team at the 1992 Women’s World Championship, said both teams focused on “unity” during the tournament, TODAY reported.
“These players, both men and women, bring so much unity to a group and a country,” she said. “The people who cheer for it don’t watch hockey, the people who are politically inclined, whether it’s the men’s or women’s team, care about that.”
Trump and the men’s team weren’t the only ones criticized after their victory. FBI Director Kash Patel was criticized for flying to Italy and partying with the men’s team after the victory. Patel was the one who called Trump in the locker room after the win.
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Trump’s State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday night, which could cause problems for some players on the men’s team. The players will return to their NHL teams on Tuesday and resume play after the Olympic break on Wednesday. This could cause scheduling conflicts for quite a few players.
At the end of the call with Trump, several players on the men’s team expressed a desire to attend the event. It’s unclear how many people will ultimately be in attendance when Trump takes the stage on Tuesday.
