President Donald Trump’s phone call to the United States men’s Olympic hockey team garnered controversy after laughter followed a mention of the women’s team.
While on the phone with the team after they won gold, Trump said he would “have” to invite the women’s team, which also beat Canada to win the Olympics, to Tuesday’s State of the Union — otherwise, he “probably would be impeached.”
The quip drummed up some laughter in the locker room, which Team USA backup goalie Jeremy Swayman seemed to regret.
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“We should have reacted differently,” Swayman told reporters Wednesday when asked about the phone call.
Members of the men’s team, including Jack and Quinn Hughes, made it a point to mention that the teams celebrated and supported each other throughout the Olympics.
Swayman, too, hammered home the point.
“We know that we are so excited for the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team. To share that gold medal with them is something we’re forever grateful for,” he said.
The women’s team declined an invitation to Washington, D.C., citing scheduling conflicts. But Trump announced that they will visit the White House in due time.
Jack Hughes told reporters after the game that the first thing he thought about when the puck went in was Megan Keller, who scored the golden goal for the United States women’s team against Canada three days earlier.
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Hughes’ brother, Quinn, who scored an overtime goal against Sweden last week, said it was “amazing to spend some time” with the women’s team in the Olympic village.
The brothers’ mother, Ellen, a former Team USA player and current player development staff member, did not seem bothered by Trump’s comments.
“These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,” she told “Today.” “People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about.
“If you could see what we see from the inside, and the men and women sharing, you know, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men and the way the men cheered on the women — that’s what it’s all about,” she continued. “And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity, and they care about the country.”
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