The US men’s ice hockey team continues to face backlash for its visit to the White House following its historic win against Canada.
The team won the gold medal for the first time in 46 years after beating its neighboring country 2-1 with an overtime goal by Jack Hughes.
Criticism of the players began during the locker room celebration in Milan. As FBI director Kash Patel held his phone, the team spoke with President Donald Trump, who invited them to meet him and attend Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
The US men’s ice hockey team is facing fierce criticism after celebrating its Olympic gold medal win with a visit to the White House
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Trump told the gold medalists, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” adding jokingly that if he didn’t invite the women’s team as well, he “probably would be impeached.”
The US women’s ice hockey team also beat Canada 2-1 to take home the gold medal on Thursday (February 19), three days before the men’s final.
The male players laughed at Trump’s comments—a reaction that drew harsh criticism when a video of the moment went viral.
Image credits: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Following the incident, the women’s team declined the invitation to attend the White House, citing logistics and scheduling conflicts.
On Tuesday, footage of the male athletes at the White House began circulating on social media, with many people interpreting their visit as a sign that they support the president or his party. Their attendance was also viewed by some as disrespectful toward the women’s team.
The team clinched its first gold in 46 years with a dramatic 2-1 overtime win over Canada
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“This is f**king despicable …. ‘Everything is so political’ says Jack f**king Hughes complaining about everyone calling him out for his bullsh*t then a day later wearing a 47 Trump hat. so f**king disgusting,” one user wrote on X.
The post was accompanied by a photo of the players at the presidential residence posing with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, some of them wearing red caps.
“Looking like toddlers on a field trip,” said another critic.
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“Example 2037893 of why you can never trust a man. embarrassing. disappointing. disgusting. utterly disrespectful to the community you claim to support,” read a separate post, which showed defenseman Charlie McAvoy holding an LGBTQ+ flag.
Another user shared a video of the players celebrating their win at Miami’s E11even nightclub, where some fans paid hundreds of dollars to see the team, as per NBC Miami.
“Aren’t most of these guys married or in relationships? You’ve been out of the country and away from home for weeks and the first thing you do when you come back is go to a str*p club???” the user wrote.
The men’s team was questioned after meeting Donald Trump and attending the State of the Union address at the US Capitol
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According to ESPN, the players partied deep into the night, sang patriotic songs like Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue, crowd-surfed, and went through more than $150,000 in champagne during the celebration.
Meanwhile, others jumped to the athletes’ defense, writing, “It’s a nightclub with bottle service girls…have ever been to a nightclub before???”
“They can choose to visit the White House just as much as the Women’s team can choose not to visit. It’s an honor to be invited regardless of who is President,” said another fan.
The players insisted that their visit was not a partisan move intended to express support for the president
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When they arrived in the Oval Office, the team shook hands with the president and posed with him for a photo.
Defenseman Quinn Hughes dismissed the criticism his team received for their reaction to Trump’s comment, stating that they are “extremely happy” for the women’s victory and that they had bonded with them at the Olympic Village.
Jack Hughes said the men’s and women’s teams ended up celebrating together in the cafeteria in Milan until 3:30 a.m. after the men’s victory.
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“Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Olympic Village, I think we are so tight with their group,” Hughes shared.
“People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. The same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”
The women’s ice hockey team, which also took home the gold medal, declined Trump’s invitation after a joke he made about them to the men’s team
Image credits: Olympics
Hughes also suggested that the men’s White House visit shouldn’t be interpreted as support for the president or the Republican Party.
“Yeah, we’re excited. Everything is so political. We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the US. When you get the chance to go to White House and meet the president, we’re proud to be Americans, and that’s so patriotic,” the 24-year-old said on Monday.
”No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that.”
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Team USA won the gold medal for the first time in 46 years after beating Canada, the most successful country in Olympic ice hockey, with a goal scored 101 seconds into overtime.
It was the first time since the “Miracle on Ice” at Lake Placid in 1980 that the USA men’s ice hockey team had won Olympic gold. It was also the first time the USA had won the competition outside its home country.
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