Team USA hockey gold medalist Jack Hughes revealed on Monday that the men’s team is still cool with the women’s team.
Rumors surfaced that the two teams might be beefing after the men’s team accepted an invitation to the State of the Union and the White House, but the women’s team, conversely, rejected the same invitation.
A spokesperson for the women’s team previously told NBC News that they won’t be attending “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”
Many critics automatically assumed the rejected invitation was due to politics:
It’s official: US Gold Winning Olympic Hockey team declined invitation to be political props for Trump at the SOTU tomorrow
The women, that is
The men are still too stupid, self-absorbed and misogynistic to realize that going, will stick to them permanently
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) February 23, 2026
But Hughes claimed otherwise.
“They’ve got busy schedules too,” he told the Daily Mail. “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 3:30 am in the morning with them, and we go from there, pack our bags, and we’re on the bus,” he added.
“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,” he concluded.
He was then asked by the Daily Mail whether he and the other fellas are excited about meeting President Donald Trump on Tuesday.
“Yeah, we’re excited,” Hughes replied. “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,” he added.
But while the men’s team and women’s team might be getting along, there are still a few thousand feminists across the whole globe who’re angry as all hell with the men.
Why? Because they laughed at a joke that President Trump made when he called the men’s team after their Olympic victory this Sunday. The joke was that Trump would have to invite the women’s team to the White House as well as the men’s team.
Trump calling Team USA after their massive win against Canada is the best thing you will see this week.
Look at how excited they all are.
American pride 🇺🇸
pic.twitter.com/bP97pKMD1x— Jack (@jackunheard) February 23, 2026
According to feminists across the globe, in addition to their soy boy orbiters, it was contingent on Hughes and the other men, including his brother Quinn, to call the president out for making a “sexist” joke.
Look (*Language warning):
To those on the men’s USA hockey team who laughed at the prospect of sharing a White House visit with women, the NHL frequently trails the WNBA in ratings.
— Sally Jenkins (@SallyJenki) February 23, 2026
Jack and Quinn Hughes were front and center laughing at Trump’s “joke” about having to invite the women’s team to the White House which is crazy given how hard their mom has worked to get women’s hockey where it is today. They should be ashamed of themselves.
— Maria Leonard (@ventaholic89) February 23, 2026
Not all men, but somehow always a man.
The utter disrespect for the women’s team as they all laugh at the idea that they would be invited to The White House too.
Certainly on brand for the predator party … https://t.co/XZCK4nUiAj
— Kelly (@broadwaybabyto) February 23, 2026
And just like that FUCK THE ENTIRE MENS HOCKEY TEAM. Laughing at Trump’s sexist joke about the women’s team to then throw a medal around Kash Patel (FUCK Dylan Larkin in particular). Why the fuck is this dude even there… #FUCKICE #FUCKTHEUSA #FUCKTRUMP
— ClydeFrogg (@KaiserWilhelm22) February 23, 2026
I am going to be retweeting shit like this all fucking day so unfollow now if you can’t handle the truth. Not my fault the men’s hockey team decided to be pathetic losers!
Sidenote I never want to do anything for a man again, that’s the level of hate I’m at right now https://t.co/ctf0AcRkLw
— Kelly Keegs (@kellykeegs) February 23, 2026
Everything Trump touches dies. We can’t even enjoy both wins for 24 hours before he introduces sexism, and the men’s team laughs with the joke. Way to stay classy US Men’s hockey. https://t.co/039V3oKgbR
— Rick Lombardo (@Rick_lombardo) February 23, 2026
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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