‘We are so tight with their group’: Jack Hughes defends U.S. men’s relationship with women’s Olympic hockey team
The narrative between the United States men’s and women’s hockey teams has certainly picked up steam over the past 24 hours.
On Monday, USA Hockey announced that the women’s Olympic gold-medal-winning team declined President Donald Trump’s invitation to Tuesday night’s State of the Union, citing scheduling conflicts for the team that has a mix of student athletes and PWHL players.
The decision came just over a day after the men’s team won gold in Milan, beating Canada in overtime. A video quickly circulated with FBI director Kash Patel, who was seen sharing beers with the players, holding his phone as Trump talked to the team to congratulate them on the win, and inviting them to Washington, D.C. for the State of the Union.
However, Trump went out of his way to inform the team that he would be inviting the women’s team as well.
“We’ll do the White House…we’ll just have some fun, we have medals for you guys,” Trump said to the team. “And we have to, I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that? … I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
With some players in the video audibly laughing at Trump’s attempt and comedy, the clip received backlash, with some believing that members of the men’s team were poking fun at the women’s athletes.
When speaking to the media in Miami on Monday, USA forward Jack Hughes, the hero from Sunday’s final, defended his team’s relationship with the women’s, which has a number of future Hall of Famers in Hilary Knight, Kendall Coyne Schofield, and Megan Keller, who scored the overtime winner to beat Canada in their gold medal game last week.
Hughes noted that the two teams were very tight throughout the Winter Games.
“People are so negative out there,” Hughes said. “They are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing. Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Athletes’ Village, I think we are so tight with their group.”
Hughes mentioned that they were hanging out with some of the women’s players after the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, leading to Monday morning.
“After we won the gold medal, we were in the cafeteria at 3.30 a.m. in the morning with them and we go from there, pack our bags and we’re on the bus….I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them, how proud we are of them and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”
Hughes claimed he’s excited about the trip to meet Trump, but also mentioned that “everything is so political.”
“We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the U.S., and 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. No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House tomorrow and be a part of that.”
A USA Hockey spokesperson explained to NBC News why the U.S. women’s team wouldn’t be able to attend Tuesday’s event.
“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,” the USA Hockey spokesperson said. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. … They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”