Us Mens Hockey Controversy: Hughes family and Team USA respond to Trump locker-room call
The us mens hockey controversy centers on a viral phone call between President Donald Trump and the U. S. men’s Olympic hockey team that followed the men’s gold-medal win in Milan Cortina. The call — and the teams’ subsequent responses — have prompted statements from Ellen Hughes and on-ice leaders Jack and Quinn Hughes, while Team USA has finalized its scheduling decisions after the Games.
Ellen Hughes emphasizes unity and the teams’ shared experience
Ellen Hughes, mother of Jack and Quinn Hughes and a player development consultant for Team USA women’s ice hockey, spoke about the reaction to the viral call on Feb. 24. She said, “at the end of the day, it's just about the country, ” and stressed that “these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country. ”
She described the internal “synergy” between the squads, saying that from the inside the men and women were sharing dorm rooms, halls and flex floors, and that the men and women cheered on one another. Ellen said the athletes “care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country. ”
Video of the Trump call, locker-room laughter and Kash Patel’s role
A video surfaced after the men’s win over Canada showing the locker-room call in which President Trump told the players, “we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that, ” and added, “I do believe I probably would be impeached. ” Some players laughed and engaged in celebratory back-and-forth during the exchange.
The call was taken in the dressing room by FBI director Kash Patel; Patel was also the person who called Trump after the win and later flew to Italy and was criticized for partying with the men's team following the victory.
Jack and Quinn Hughes push back on backlash and describe the locker-room mood
Jack and Quinn Hughes have publicly addressed what Jack called the “backlash” the men's team faced over the call. Jack, speaking late Monday night outside a Miami nightclub, said, “People are so negative out there and they are trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them. ”
Both brothers appeared by video call shortly after their mother on Feb. 24 to discuss relations between the teams. Jack, who scored the game-winning goal in the gold-medal matchup against Canada — a 2-1 win that delivered the United States its first Olympic men’s hockey gold since 1980 — recounted celebrations that continued into the night, saying the two teams were “in the cafeteria at 3: 30 in the morning. ” Quinn said in a Tuesday morning interview that the brothers were excited to attend the State of the Union, calling it “something you don't get to do (every) Tuesday” and “going to be special for us, ” while adding they were “extremely happy” for the women’s team amid “a lot going on social media surrounding our team and their team. ”
Women’s team declines State of the Union invite; Olympic results and records
Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The women completed a 7-0 run through the tournament, beating Canada in overtime to claim gold, while the men defeated Canada in the gold-medal game.
The day after the locker-room video circulated on Feb. 22, Team USA’s women’s team declined the president’s invitation to the State of the Union. A USA Hockey spokesperson said on Feb. 23, “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U. S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement, ” and added that “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. ” The spokesperson added, “They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment. ”
Schedules, leagues and next steps for players returning to club play
The Professional Women’s Hockey League, which has 16 American players from the U. S. Olympic team spread across five of its eight rosters, resumes its season on Thursday. The U. S. women’s Olympic roster also includes seven NCAA players, some of whom were scheduled to play on Friday.
Players on the men’s team were also invited to the White House on Thursday, one day before the NHL resumes its regular season; whether that event was formally scheduled is unclear, and NHL teams with American Olympians expected those players to travel to Washington for some amount of time before returning to their clubs. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said players can decide on an individual basis if they want to attend. The president’s public schedule for Tuesday includes a 12: 30 p. m. ET State of the Union luncheon; his schedule for Wednesday has not yet been released.
Ellen Hughes, who also represented Team USA hockey as a player at the 1992 Women's World Championship with the national team, said the sweep of golds by the men’s and women’s teams “couldn’t have gone better, ” noting “both teams going undefeated” and calling back-to-back overtime finishes for the women and then the men “special moments for a bunch of amazing women and a bunch of amazing men. ”
