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Sunday ushered in signs of unity when the U.S. men's hockey team clinched its first gold medal since the 1980 Miracle on Ice Olympic team in a 2-1 overtime thriller against Canada. The past 48 hours have divided America once again.
President Donald Trump invited the men's team to the State of the Union address in a locker room call and sparked widespread criticism when Trump said that he also had to invite the gold medal-winning women's team, too, or he would be "impeached."
At the State of the Union, the men's team received a bipartisan standing ovation at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 24. But Trump's comments in the phone call days prior to his speech invited an avalanche of backlash after the men's team laughed at the president's remark, leading some hardcore sports fans to put the Olympians on thin ice.
"We're so incredibly divided, there's terrible things going on, on a regular basis, and it's supposed to be this one thing where we can all agree to just celebrate," influencer Aubrey Gallione told USA TODAY. "And they ruined it."
Trump State of the Union live updates: Follow president's address in real time
The men's team victory also arrives on the heels of "Heated Rivalry," the hit HBO romantic drama that follows two professional hockey players intertwined in a secretive gay relationship. Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the show has become a cultural phenomenon with the latter set to host "Saturday Night Live" on Feb. 28.
The NHL has long wanted to grow the game of hockey in the United States and abroad. But hockey, like all professional sports, has become further intertwined with politics over the past 12 years.
The league banned Pride tape in 2023, leading to a controversial response from some prominent players, but the Olympic breakout star Jack Hughes – who scored the U.S. gold medal-winning goal – stood by his choice to support Pride-themed nights in a clip that has since surfaced from a 2024 interview.
This year, hockey received renewed widespread interest with the rise of "Heated Rivalry" after its release in November.
Based on the "Game Changer" book series by Rachel Reid, the Canadian series has become a worldwide phenomenon with stars Storrie and Williams becoming two of the most famous men in Hollywood virtually overnight.
The game experienced another growth spurt with the U.S. women's hockey team winning gold, their seventh consecutive winter Olympic medal. The men's team secured its first gold medal victory since 1980, when the group's momentous win was popularized in the 2004 Disney film "Miracle." The latter's win instantly became politicized with FBI Director Kash Patel chugging beers in the locker room and posing for photos with the team. Later, Trump's call surfaced, upsetting some new and longtime fans of hockey.
Bailey Koch, a Chicago content creator behind the growing sports TikTok account @baileymkoch, said she is a WNBA fan who got excited to support the U.S. men's team because of the advocacy of the Hughes' brothers for the women's side. Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes are both men's Olympic team members while their mom Ellen Weinberg-Hughes is a consultant for the women's Olympic team.
But Koch, who boasts 14,000 followers, said it was "extremely disappointing" to see their participation with Trump "laughing at this women's team and diminishing their accomplishments." Their "accomplishments were earned on the exact same stage under the same pressure representing the USA," Koch said.
"It didn't feel great," Koch said. "It was really disheartening."
Longtime hockey player Mac Bass of San Francisco, whose garnered nearly 121,000 Instagram and TikTok followers @macloafe, was also frustrated with the team's Trump call. He said that hockey has "a lot of culture problems."
Bass grew up outside the Bay Area and started playing hockey when he was 4. He is still an avid San Jose Sharks fan and played competitively during his childhood. He currently participates in a beer league in San Francisco.
"Everyone's always saying, 'You know, we got to grow the sport, we got to grow the sport' and then something like this, like 'Heated Rivalry' comes around and grows the sport and, you know, they don't like the way it's grown," Bass said, adding that "the sport is a very beautiful sport itself, but it's unfortunate that a lot of the toxic culture exists in it."
"Hockey has always been a boys club and that's unfortunate, you know, and I think you don't grow a sport by keeping it exclusive in any fashion," Bass continued.
Aubrey Gallione, who founded the suicide prevention organization Project Love U and also spoke out on social media, panned the players' choice to speak with Trump.
The former competitive cheerleader said the laughing was an act of misogyny. "I would love to say that I'm shocked by everything that's happening and what came out, but I think being a woman and knowing how misogynistic these spaces are, I'm not shook," Gallione said.
"It's sad to see that women can reach the pinnacle of their sport and still somehow end up being a punchline," Gallione added.
Ellen Hughes, the mom of two Olympic gold medalists, said on the Feb. 24 "Today" show that "at the end of the day, it's just about the country."
Jake Guentzel among 5 US men's hockey players not at State of the Union
"These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country," she said. "People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about."
The men's team posed with Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 24 prior to the State of the Union. The president even wore Matthew Tkachuk's gold medal, joking that he was not "giving it back." The women declined Trump's invitation to attend the State of the Union.
Later that night at the U.S. Capitol, the guys received a standing ovation from members of Congress. "U-S-A, U-S-A," the crowd chanted.
Then Trump announced that Connor Hellebuyck, the U.S. men's team goalie who made over 40 saves in the match against Canada, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in America.
Contributing: Greta Cross
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Heated Rivalry' after Trump call to men's hockey team divides US fans
Continue reading...
President Donald Trump invited the men's team to the State of the Union address in a locker room call and sparked widespread criticism when Trump said that he also had to invite the gold medal-winning women's team, too, or he would be "impeached."
At the State of the Union, the men's team received a bipartisan standing ovation at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 24. But Trump's comments in the phone call days prior to his speech invited an avalanche of backlash after the men's team laughed at the president's remark, leading some hardcore sports fans to put the Olympians on thin ice.
"We're so incredibly divided, there's terrible things going on, on a regular basis, and it's supposed to be this one thing where we can all agree to just celebrate," influencer Aubrey Gallione told USA TODAY. "And they ruined it."
Trump State of the Union live updates: Follow president's address in real time
The men's team victory also arrives on the heels of "Heated Rivalry," the hit HBO romantic drama that follows two professional hockey players intertwined in a secretive gay relationship. Starring Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the show has become a cultural phenomenon with the latter set to host "Saturday Night Live" on Feb. 28.
NHL has long pushed to grow game of hockey in America, beyond
The NHL has long wanted to grow the game of hockey in the United States and abroad. But hockey, like all professional sports, has become further intertwined with politics over the past 12 years.
The league banned Pride tape in 2023, leading to a controversial response from some prominent players, but the Olympic breakout star Jack Hughes – who scored the U.S. gold medal-winning goal – stood by his choice to support Pride-themed nights in a clip that has since surfaced from a 2024 interview.
This year, hockey received renewed widespread interest with the rise of "Heated Rivalry" after its release in November.
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Based on the "Game Changer" book series by Rachel Reid, the Canadian series has become a worldwide phenomenon with stars Storrie and Williams becoming two of the most famous men in Hollywood virtually overnight.
The game experienced another growth spurt with the U.S. women's hockey team winning gold, their seventh consecutive winter Olympic medal. The men's team secured its first gold medal victory since 1980, when the group's momentous win was popularized in the 2004 Disney film "Miracle." The latter's win instantly became politicized with FBI Director Kash Patel chugging beers in the locker room and posing for photos with the team. Later, Trump's call surfaced, upsetting some new and longtime fans of hockey.
Some fans say Trump call was 'really disheartening'
Bailey Koch, a Chicago content creator behind the growing sports TikTok account @baileymkoch, said she is a WNBA fan who got excited to support the U.S. men's team because of the advocacy of the Hughes' brothers for the women's side. Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes are both men's Olympic team members while their mom Ellen Weinberg-Hughes is a consultant for the women's Olympic team.
But Koch, who boasts 14,000 followers, said it was "extremely disappointing" to see their participation with Trump "laughing at this women's team and diminishing their accomplishments." Their "accomplishments were earned on the exact same stage under the same pressure representing the USA," Koch said.
"It didn't feel great," Koch said. "It was really disheartening."
Longtime hockey player Mac Bass of San Francisco, whose garnered nearly 121,000 Instagram and TikTok followers @macloafe, was also frustrated with the team's Trump call. He said that hockey has "a lot of culture problems."
One fan says hockey carries 'toxic culture'
Bass grew up outside the Bay Area and started playing hockey when he was 4. He is still an avid San Jose Sharks fan and played competitively during his childhood. He currently participates in a beer league in San Francisco.
"Everyone's always saying, 'You know, we got to grow the sport, we got to grow the sport' and then something like this, like 'Heated Rivalry' comes around and grows the sport and, you know, they don't like the way it's grown," Bass said, adding that "the sport is a very beautiful sport itself, but it's unfortunate that a lot of the toxic culture exists in it."
"Hockey has always been a boys club and that's unfortunate, you know, and I think you don't grow a sport by keeping it exclusive in any fashion," Bass continued.
Advocate: Women reach 'pinnacle' and still 'end up being a punchline'
Aubrey Gallione, who founded the suicide prevention organization Project Love U and also spoke out on social media, panned the players' choice to speak with Trump.
The former competitive cheerleader said the laughing was an act of misogyny. "I would love to say that I'm shocked by everything that's happening and what came out, but I think being a woman and knowing how misogynistic these spaces are, I'm not shook," Gallione said.
"It's sad to see that women can reach the pinnacle of their sport and still somehow end up being a punchline," Gallione added.
Ellen Hughes, the mom of two Olympic gold medalists, said on the Feb. 24 "Today" show that "at the end of the day, it's just about the country."
Jake Guentzel among 5 US men's hockey players not at State of the Union
"These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country," she said. "People that cheered on that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that’s all both the men’s team and the women’s team care about."
The men's team posed with Trump in the Oval Office on Feb. 24 prior to the State of the Union. The president even wore Matthew Tkachuk's gold medal, joking that he was not "giving it back." The women declined Trump's invitation to attend the State of the Union.
Later that night at the U.S. Capitol, the guys received a standing ovation from members of Congress. "U-S-A, U-S-A," the crowd chanted.
Then Trump announced that Connor Hellebuyck, the U.S. men's team goalie who made over 40 saves in the match against Canada, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest civilian honors in America.
Contributing: Greta Cross
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Heated Rivalry' after Trump call to men's hockey team divides US fans
Continue reading...
