Whenever the Olympics roll around, I suddenly get interested in sports which I ignore in non-Olympic times. So it was with ice hockey – before the Milano Cortina Olympics, I had never watched one minute of professional ice hockey. As it turned out, this was the moment to suddenly engage with the sport, as the American men’s and women’s teams both won gold medals against the Canadian teams in the finals. It was a stunning, historic moment, and ice hockey hasn’t been front-and-center in the national consciousness like that in 46 years, since the Miracle on Ice. All of which to say, the regular, everyday hockey fans tried to warn people that the US men’s team would end up disappointing everyone. But I didn’t listen. Just hours after the US men won gold, I got whiplash from seeing those same men party with Kash Patel and snicker at Donald Trump’s misogynistic jokes. Rest in peace to my interest in men’s ice hockey. Well, Jack Hughes, the one who hit the “golden goal,” spoke out last night about the backlash to the team’s coziness with MAGA.
Team USA hockey hero Jack Hughes has slammed ‘negative’ criticism of the Winter Olympics champions’ decision to accept Donald Trump’s invite to the State of the Union and The White House. The men’s team has faced backlash for speaking with Trump in the locker room after their stunning 2-1 overtime victory over Canada on Sunday, in which Hughes scored the winning goal. On that call, Trump joked he would ‘be impeached’ if he didn’t extend the same invite to the women’s team, who also won gold in Milan, and it was met with huge laughter by the men. Then, on Monday, the women’s team announced they were declining Trump’s invite to be part of the celebrations in Washington DC on Tuesday.
Speaking outside the team’s raucous Miami party on Monday night, Hughes told Daily Mail: ‘They’ve got busy schedules, too. Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today. People are so negative out there and 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. After we won the gold medal we were in the cafeteria at 3:30am in the morning with them and we go from there, pack our bags and we’re on the bus.’
‘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 and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us.’
Asked whether they are excited for their trip to meet Trump, Hughes added: ‘Yeah, we’re excited. Everything is so political. We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the US 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.’
In recent days, I’ve read more about Jack Hughes in particular, and how important his mother is to the sport, and how the Hughes brothers have always celebrated women athletes and women’s ice hockey in particular. I believe that all things can be true at once: Jack totally supports women and the women’s team, but he still finds Donald Trump’s misogynistic jokes hilarious. Jack supports gay rights, NHL Pride Nights and LGBTQ inclusion, while still cozying up to homophobic bigots. Jack supports a lot of woke things and he sees nothing wrong with going to the Trump White House and being used as a MAGA prop. Some might call it cognitive dissonance, but there are SO MANY white men like this in America.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Jack Hughes of United States celebrates the victory during the Ice hockey, Eishockey Mens Gold Medal Game match between Canada and USA on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Milan Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Italy *** MILAN, ITALY FEBRUARY 22 Jack Hughes of United States celebrates the victory during the Ice Hockey Mens Gold Medal Game match between Canada and USA on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy Milan Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Italy Copyright: xJustPictures.ch/AndreaxBrancax jp-en-EuSpIm-AB-AAB_341522022026,Image: 1077416127, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Andrea Branca/Avalon
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- MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 22: Jack Hughes of United States L and Quinn Hughes of United States R celebrate winning the gold medal during the Ice hockey, Eishockey Mens Gold Medal Game match between Canada and USA on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, Olympische Spiele, Olympia, OS at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Milan Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Italy *** MILAN, ITALY FEBRUARY 22 Jack Hughes of United States L and Quinn Hughes of United States R celebrate winning the gold medal during the Ice Hockey Mens Gold Medal Game match between Canada and USA on day sixteen of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena on February 22, 2026 in Milan, Italy Milan Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena Italy Copyright: xJustPictures.ch/AndreaxBrancax jp-en-EuSpIm-AB-AAB_291522022026,Image: 1077423209, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Andrea Branca/Avalon
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- USA Hockey team celebrate their gold medal victory at COTE Korean Steakhouse in Miami Featuring: Jack Hughes Where: Miami, Florida, United States When: 23 Feb 2026 Credit: Seth Browarnik/INSTARimages
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- USA Hockey team celebrate their gold medal victory at COTE Korean Steakhouse in Miami Featuring: Quinn Hughes, Jack Hughes Where: Miami, Florida, United States When: 23 Feb 2026 Credit: Seth Browarnik/INSTARimages
Done with him and his brothers. Done! As well as anyone who goes. Not a single person has apologized for their disgusting behaviour – which tells you everything you need to know about USA men’s hockey and the leadership there.
One silver lining in the Canada losses has been all this rot coming to the surface. I believe it’s why we missed 2 wide open nets in the men’s final. We were supposed to have this information about who the men are. I already knew about the Tkatchuks and Eichel, but I held out hope for McAvoy, Matthews, and the Hughes brothers. I can officially scratch off the Hughes brothers off my probably not a douchebag list.
I also love that the Ottawa Senators fans are livid, and asking that Brady Tkatchuk be replaced as their captain.
My local team has players on Team Canada but not the USA (yay) but women everywhere – the NHL needs to feel this in their wallets. As for me I plan to attend more women’s games this year than men’s. The women’s games are exciting, their skill level of is insane.
That’s amazing news about the senators .
Right? I hope something comes of it. Would love to see him traded to Florida so he can go foot shuffle his idiot brother.
My local team had one player on men’s Team USA. I haven’t heard or seen him around any of this, but I have an extremely hard time watching that video so maybe he is. There was a photo of him on IG with one of the ladies from my town who was on the gold medal hockey team. Someone asked isn’t his team misogynist and some idiot replied, “That’s what the nut jobs want you to think.” DUDE THERE IS VIDEO WITH AUDIO. THEY ARE GOING TO THE SOTU TO SUPPORT A KNOWN RAPIST MISOGYNIST.
Sigh. So true Sue. It’s all part of the Liberal DEI Antifa woke agenda! It’s all just exhausting. And I think this is why we just need to act. We can act by putting our money into buying tickets to support the PWHL, and other women’s sports. The only thing they understand is money, and women wanting no part of them. And even then they play the victim – no one wants to sleep with us! Instead of taking accountability for being douchebags and changing problematic behaviour.
We just need to stop centering men and stop giving these organizations our money. And yes I see the irony of commenting this on a men’s hockey post lol. Personally I am an avid hockey fan. But I like watching the women play as much as the men, so my money is going there. One of the top women hockey players plays in my city, and she is electrifying. Her wife assisted her first goal this year. They call it the wife line (they play on the same line together) and they’re absolutely adorable in interviews. They are fun to watch. Also the tickets for great seats are actually affordable as opposed to thousands of dollars to be near the glass.
Just vile. I can’t.
Et tu, Jack???
What a disappointment.
Right?! Yuck and bye. So disappointing.
These guys are dudes. Dudes are supposed to be the new we don’t care about petty bourgeois stuff.
It’s about money and endorsement. Billionaires are MAGAs.
And hey we are dudes. Like you know teenage boys who do dumb stuff (looking on as a mum with a stinky 15 yo boy). Yo! But we are cool so you know… we are down partying with poopy 5 yo El Presidente and his marionette, the goofy, loose mouth FBI director getting it down with the BOYS! Yeah too bad about Epstein. This whole boy gaggle would love to jet off to Epstein island after the big speech.
Ugh.
I was right to give my support towards women’s hockey and the PWHL.
Easy to say why are people being mean and making it about politics when he is a super rich straight white man. He doesn’t have to worry about concentration camps ,being kidnapped by ice , dying for a unviable pregnancy ect .
Francois Arnaud literally said this when he hoped the NHL which was happy to accept the increase money and publicity from heated rivalry would make even the smallest of changes .
Hughes’s mother Ellen Weinberg-Hughes is an Olympics silver medalist from 1992 and a player development consultant for the current women’s hockey team. She taught him to skate. He knows better.
His brother Quinn, also on the team was recently traded to Minnesota. Hell his nickname is Quinnesota! He has seen the cars rammed off the highway, empty of their drivers. He has watched firsthand this city be terrorized by this administration. This is inexcusable. There is another player on the team who plays for Minnesota.
GM for Team USA is Bill Guerin who is also the GM for the Wild. He picked the players that are most like him apparently.
She did an interview and he doesn’t know better.
There was no women’s hockey in the Olympics in 1992. They won silver at the World Championships. Women’s hockey didn’t start at the Olympics until 1998.
She also trotted out on the Today show this morning and gave some bs comment about being unified. She didn’t do any better.
Exactly. How hard is it just to say, “Yeah, women athletes should not be dissed by anyone, especially not after winning the gold medal — again.”
I’ll admit I didn’t see the Today show, but as always, I’m not blaming a woman for men’s shitty behavior.
She trotted out the BS because her paycheck is on the line.
Meanwhile, her idiot sons flushed millions of dollars in endorsements into Dump’s diaper with their comments. After Jack’s “golden goal” he could have secured enough money from Bauer, UnderArmor and Gatorade to secure her great-grandchildren’s retirement. None of them are likely to do more than “here are your sticks, as per our original agreement” with them again.
Who is the jackhole with the “America F0ck Yeah!” hat? And y’all blame others for being negative!? What’s with the aggro chud messaging? You’re an embarrassment; win with some dignity, for chrissakes.
If you’re so tight with the women’s team, why were you laughing at misogyny? Did you think that Trump’s PATHETIC AI post of himself scoring the winning goal and **beating up** Canadians was also funny? We’re not “making something out of nothing” — we’re fed up with how you treat people. Yeah, you.
Because…that’s men. Sure, the women did an amazing thing! But the men did it better. Women are always secondary.
Facts:
The U.S. women’s hockey team has won 4 gold medals since 1998.
Milan 2026: U.S. women won 17 medals while the men won 12
Women have outperformed men in the summer olympics for 4 olympics now.
That team and all of the white men in this country like them can go f+ck themselves.
FACTS. The US Women’s team has been getting medals systematically for years! The 46 year wait was only for men’s hockey, the women’s team is strong AF (I say this begrudgingly as a Canadian) and deserve all the accolades.
Men’s hockey is known to be incredibly misogynistic and racist. So overall, this behaviour is not a surprise. Just look up the Hockey Canada 5 if you really want to be disgusted.
Scott Hunter would never
Yuck.
UGHHHH please FFS stop talking US Men’s Hockey.
Ok Jack tell us how maga you are without saying how maga you are. May your goal scoring suffer a years long slump!!
Your last sentence says it all.
I went to a D1 hockey school – I knew this would happen. Hence why I was cheering for Canada. The US team partying with Kash was a bridge too far
I don’t know any of them (I’m neither American nor a hockey person), but in the end it’s good that this person is vocal about LBGT+ rights and supports womens’ sports and I hope he will stay vocal about those things and not end up lodged solidly within the maga-swamp.
Wait — did you read the post? He’s “super excited” to meet Trump and thinks it’s “patriotic.”
Sometimes when a person is criticized, it makes them go harder right, more than he likely already may be. It’d be nice if he could move in the other direction, one that is about not just one pride night but having pride everyday and having that be supported through voting for the politics that will support it. Bc yeah, there’s a good chance he’s now gonna be like why are all the woke people being so mean to me. So yea hopefully he stays vocal about those things and eventually votes for those things. I’m not holding my breath for it but more like wishing the world could be better. Being excited to meet Trump is yikes.
Maybe Jack can grab some p#ssy and participate in a Bitcoin Ponzi scheme while he visits the white house. 🤷♂️
White male privilege at its finest. I’m so over all the #boymoms and their #sons.
I completely agree with this sentiment Chaine. This started a LONG time ago with these boys being worshipped, even before they got good at hockey. I have a son. I don’t worship him. He can cook, clean, and take care of himself. I love him but I don’t worship him. I don’t wait on him hand and foot and center him in everything. My son is kind, super smart, handsome, and athletic. He excels at school and in is sport, and again, this is not a reason to worship him.
I also think the men of my generation (collectively) have been a piss poor example to their sons. They don’t cook (grilling out 2-3 times a year isn’t cooking) they don’t repair anything, they don’t clean. Saturday it’s all day in front of the TV watching college football and then it’s rinse and repeat Sunday for the pros, while the women wait on them hand and foot. They don’t help with the kids. I cannot tell you how many married single moms I know, and I was one myself when I was married.
I really don’t blame the new generation of women for saying hard pass to all of it. We have a lot of work to do with boys. A shit ton of work to do. It’s depressing.
Preach! That’s been an observation of mine too; the men in my generation are mostly useless. “Can’t” cook, clean, find anything, plan anything, DO anything. My dad was always working around the house, my now-adult son does too. My husband? Forget about it.
I went to a D1 hockey school – I knew this would happen. Hence why I was cheering for Canada. The US team partying with Kash was a bridge too far
How quickly they burned away all the goodwill! Astonishing.
We are longtime season ticket holders to our local NWSL (women’s prof. soccer) team, and the vibes are so much better than any men’s sporting event I’ve ever been to.
the “America f*ck yeah” hat? I am 100% sure that these guys are wholesome idiots by not talking a single word with them – prove me wrong. If I would met them in a bar (and I would be some 20ish woman) – no thank you, please keep walking and f*ck off immediatly.
He claims to support women but given a chance is right there to be a misogynist jerk with the rest of them. We see you.
Now excuse me while I go watch Heated Rivalry.
My favourite Instagram comment in all of this was: “Shane and Ilya would never!”
I agree with you. He had an opportunity to be a real ally here and instead he chose to fit in with MAGA asshattery. It’s especially disappointing because the hockey team is being trotted out at the State of the Union to distract from the fact that many Epstein survivors will be in the room. They’re playing right into the protecting the pedophiles game.
haha I said something similar in my comment above – Scott Hunter would NEVER
Shane, Ilya and Scott would never. Francois just posted that very same thing on his insta. All those increases in tix sales from HR and this is what they did??? Am looking forward to season 2 when they add in Role Model and Troy Barrett.
Lol Jais and Danbury best show ever! Looking forward to the next Season. Our Prime Minister is in Season 2! Apparently he plays a Member of Parliament (MP). I can’t wait! I hope they continue Scott Hunter’s story as well.
These dumb white amoral men who play with their ‘bothsideisms’ are the reason why we are where we are today politically. Scratch the surface, they hate women.
See men in sports, politics, religion, media etc ad nauseam.
It is insane how quickly I went from feeling joy to feeling absolutely sick to my stomach over this team.
Just in case we needed a reminder that men’s hockey culture and the NHL is a cesspool of misogyny and racism. They do not deserve to capitalize on the increased attention, acclaim or cultural impact brought by Heated Rivalry or the Olympics. Instead, I hope people who have just gotten into hockey will invest their valuable time and attention to the PWHL instead.
Under any other president I could understand the attitude of being ‘super excited’ to go to the White House. Of course athletes, celebrities, just plain folk would feel honoured – even if the sitting President was not the one they voted for. I get that. But we’re not living on normal times. Trump is not just another president that maybe you didn’t vote for (no reason to believe all those hockey players did) but let’s be realistic Trump is a ticking time bomb, he’s a horror show, he’s the worst of America, and he’s only one year into office – god knows what he’s going to have ‘accomplished’ before he’s done.
I’m hoping some individuals refuse, since in previous years champions from all leagues have refused to go to Felon’s WH. But it’s been less and less refusing. Sickening.
Canada should had won anyway
Completely agree. Canada dominated. Too bad their goalie stood on his head. No one could get past him. Also having our Captain out injured hurt us. So many things went wrong in that game, missing wide open nets, the refs missing a too many men on the ice call at a critical juncture, and so on. We were clearly not supposed to win it. And now I know why.
I truly believe all of it happened so we can see who these men are at their core. Before I could convince myself it was half good guys half Tkatchuks but now I know better. I mean Auston Matthews is half Mexican is he really going to go to the WH?
Now that I know what I know, I will govern myself and spend my money accordingly. This has turned into a PR nightmare for the NHL because people like me buy tickets, we tune in we give this league our money. I spent thousands of dollars on 2 seats this Christmas for me and my kid so we could be near the glass. I won’t be doing that again. I will be at the PWHL going forward. Sucks cause they had so much good will going into this year from Heated Rivalry. It’s like one step forward two steps back.
OK, Devils Advocate. Let’s say they were caught up in the moment, celebrating, maybe didn’t hear correctly. We all have social media these days. Any one of them AFTER could have said “I shouldn’t have laughed and cheered at my fellow American athletes being diminished like that. I was wrong”.
And yet……nothing except doubling down. Fuck them all.
This!!! Exactly! It’s like this toxic blue wall of silence. You can see one guy enter the locker room see Kash and double back and leave. You can hear one guy yell two for two! Acknowledging the women. They weren’t all in agreement. And not everyone is going to be comfortable interrupting or correcting a president in that moment. The laughter could have been nervous laughter. Once you compose yourself though, that’s when you act. Two days have gone by, not an apology from ONE of them. Nothing! Instead, they’re deleting social media posts to cover their own asses. It’s gross.
And I’m glad no one is letting this go. Who would have thought hockey would be our collective breaking point lol. It gives me hope that people are this mad. We’ve had it. You can’t even win a gold medal for your country without being put down as a woman. It’s such a hard time being a woman right now being stripped of your rights, a predator a r*pist in charge of the free world. A reporter asking about Epstein being told quiet Piggy and no fucking man steps in. We’re watching in real time the men around us having little to no backbone and standing for nothing. It hurts. It’s just demoralizing. For me, this is the fucking last straw. It’s like Lois in the Family Guy Christmas episode freaking out that there are no paper towels after the house catches fire.
Not going would make a big statement, but the fawning you heard on that phone call, most of them are going. They agree with this shit. They’re in agreement, and that what makes me truly sad.