ESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsFeb 25, 2026, 02:28 PM ET
During the American men’s team’s locker room celebration in Milan, Trump extended an invitation to the players to come to Washington for the State of the Union address. “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” adding with a laugh that if he didn’t also invite the women’s team, “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
Appearing on “SportsCenter” on Wednesday, Knight said, “I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
“Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Olympic Village, I think we are so tight with their group,” Hughes said in an interview he and Quinn did on “Good Morning America.” “After we won the gold medal, we were in the cafeteria at 3:30 a.m. in the morning with them. We go from there, pack our bags and we’re on the bus.
“I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said. “I think that’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
Goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters in Boston after returning to practice with the Bruins that the men “should have reacted differently” to Trump’s remarks.
“You’re in the moment and the president calls. We’re blaring the music. It is what it is,” Hughes said Wednesday night after his first game back with the New Jersey Devils. “We have so much respect for the women’s team and they have so much respect for us. We are all just proud Americans.”
While the men’s team did attend the State of the Union address, the women’s team, which won gold for the third time since the Olympics added the women’s hockey competition in 1998, declined an invitation, citing logistics and scheduling concerns.
“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 U.S. women’s team said in a statement released Monday. “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.”
Knight scored the tying goal against Canada on a redirection in the final two minutes. Megan Keller scored in overtime to lift the Americans to the 2-1 victory.
This was the final Olympic game for Knight, 36, who with her second gold medal became the most decorated player in U.S. women’s hockey history. She announced in May that these Games — her fifth — would be her last.
She ends first among American skaters — men or women — in Olympic goals (15) and points (33) in a career.
Hughes said the moment did not reflect the views of the men’s team.
Hilary Knight calls Trump’s women’s hockey team joke ‘distasteful’ (1:19)Hilary Knight says that President Donald Trump made “distasteful joke” about women’s hockey team; she’s focused on celebrating women’s Olympic triumphs. (1:19)