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USA hockey players on SNL: Megan Keller, Hilary Knight give Hughes brothers, men's team a 'little moment to shine' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Hockey was at the heart of the latest episode of "Saturday Night Live."
The program, which aired on Feb. 28, was hosted by "Heated Rivalry" standout Connor Storrie, who has become a darling on-and-off the ice for his depiction of gay Russian player Ilya Rozanov in the show.
During his opening monologue, Storrie offered insight into his headline role on the show. He wasn't alone, either; Storrie was joined by a quartet of Olympic hockey stars, with Megan Keller, Hilary Knight, Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes all sharing the stage with the budding acting talent.
Suffice to say, their cameos got people talking. Here's what you need to know.
MORE: The best 'Saturday Night Live' sports sketches, ranked
USA hockey players on SNL
Megan Keller, Hilary Knight and the Hughes brothers bumped shoulders with "Heated Rivalry" star Connor Storrie during his "Saturday Night Live" opening monologue.
Storrie, the star of the hockey-themed smash hit, "Heated Rivalry", basked in the spotlight across nearly six minutes, touching on his rise to stardom, as well as his show's prominence among gay hockey enthusiasts.
While discussing his signature program, Jack and Quinn Hughes took to the stage, outfitted in their gold medals. Perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, they weren't too familiar with "Heated Rivalry", which centers around a pair of fictional hockey talents — Russian Ilya Rozanov (Storrie) and Canadian Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) — whose rivalry gives way to an intense and long-standing romance.
Storrie poked fun at the brothers as they attempted to make sense of the show and its fame.
“It’s about hockey, right?” Quinn Hughes said. “Kind of,” Storrie joked.
“I got my teeth knocked out in the finals, does that happen in your show?” Jack Hughes said. “Metaphorically,” Storrie responded knowingly.
Keller and Knight offered reinforcements for the Hughes brothers, appearing alongside their hockey counterparts to a raucous applause. They were a little more cognizant of Storrie's performance.
“Don’t worry, we saw your show,” Keller said.
Across the final minute of the clip, Keller and Knight revealed they planned on attending the event on their own, only to feel compelled to invite the Hughes brothers to make them feel better — a tongue-in-cheek jab at the latest current events surrounding both teams' gold medal victories.
"It was gonna be just us," Knight joked, "but we thought we’d invite the guys, too.”
“Yeah, we thought we’d give them a little moment to shine,” Keller added.
MORE: USA hockey controversy, explained
SNL monologue
Here's a look at Storrie's full monologue from Saturday night.
MORE: Every athlete who hosted Saturday Night Live
Team USA hockey controversy, explained
The United States men's hockey team found itself in hot water following its gold-medal game victory over Canada on Feb. 22. The side partied with Trump-appointed FBI director Kash Patel and shared a call with the U.S. president, where he formally invited the team to Congress for his Feb. 24 State of the Union address.
While speaking with Patel and the players, Trump appeared to deride the women's team, who had also downed Canada in overtime to pick up the gold at Milano Cortina.
"I must tell you, we're going to have to bring the women's team, you do know that? I do believe I would probably be impeached," Trump joked, implying that the reaction would be negative if he only invited the men's team after both won gold.
Players, including Jack Hughes, were seen laughing at Trump's barb. Video of the interaction was posted on social media, sparking mixed reactions across social media.
The Hughes brothers pushed back on the criticism, saying the U.S. men's team's detractors were "trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing."
Jack and Quinn Hughes were also among the contingent of U.S. men's hockey team players who appeared at Trump's State of the Union address, which included a shoutout to the U.S. men's national hockey team. Trump announced that he would be awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the "nation's highest civilian honor" — to U.S. hockey star Connor Hellebuyck.
MORE:Athletes who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Who is Connor Storrie?
Connor Storrie is an American actor who plays Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov in "Heated Rivalry."
The 26-year-old started his acting career in 2018 and appeared in the 2023 feature film, "Riley." In 2024, he starred in "Joker: Folie a Deux" alongside Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.
He came to prominence on "Heated Rivalry", studying the Russian language and regional dialects in the hopes of painting an accurate depiction of a Russian hockey standout.
For his efforts, he was rewarded handsomely; Storrie and his co-star Williams were selected to be Olympic torchbearers during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
MORE: Why 'Heated Rivalry' stars Connor Storrie, Hudson Williams were selected as 2026 Winter Olympics torchbearers
What is 'Heated Rivalry'
"Heated Rivalry" is an HBO program based off the novel of the same name by Rachel Reid. The show centers around Rozanov and Hollander, who play for rival teams but develop a passionate romance with one another. The show is replete with steamy sex scenes and has become a hit among audiences across North America.
MORE:How did Jack Hughes lose his teeth?
Notable sports stars on SNL
More than two dozen sports stars past and present have hosted "Saturday Night Live." Among the most memorable talents to take the stage at 40 Rock are Hulk Hogan, Wayne Gretzky, Peyton Manning, LeBron James and, most recently, Travis Kelce.
Here's a complete look at the athletes who have shined under the NBC banner during "Saturday Night Live."
| Athlete | Episode | Air date | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fran Tarkenton | Season 2, Episode 13 | Jan. 29, 1977 | Football |
| O.J. Simpson | Season 3, Episode 12 | Feb. 25, 1978 | Football |
| Bill Russell | Season 5, Episode 3 | Nov. 3, 1979 | Basketball |
| John Madden | Season 7, Episode 10 | Jan. 30, 1982 | Football |
| Bob Uecker | Season 10, Episode 2 | Oct. 13, 1984 | Baseball |
| Alex Karras | Season 10, Episode 12 | Feb. 2, 1985 | Football |
| Hulk Hogan | Season 10, Episode 15 | March 30, 1985 | Pro wrestling |
| Marvin Hagler | Season 11, Episode 17 | May 17, 1986 | Boxer |
| Billy Martin | Season 11, Episode 18 | May 24, 1986 | Baseball |
| Joe Montana | Season 12, Episode 9 | Jan. 24, 1987 | Football |
| Walter Payton | Season 12, Episode 9 | Jan 24. 1987 | Football |
| Carl Weathers | Season 13, Episode 10 | Jan. 13, 1988 | Football |
| Wayne Gretzky | Season 14, Episode 19 | May 13, 1989 | Hockey |
| Chris Evert | Season 15, Episode 5 | Nov. 11, 1989 | Tennis |
| Michael Jordan | Season 17, Episode 1 | Sept. 28, 1991 | Basketball |
| Charles Barkley* | Season 19, Episode 1 | Sept. 25, 1993 | Basketball |
| Nancy Kerrigan | Season 19, Episode 15 | March 12, 1994 | Figure skating |
| George Foreman | Season 20, Episode 9 | Dec. 17, 1994 | Boxing |
| Deion Sanders | Season 20, Episode 13 | Feb. 18, 1995 | Football/baseball |
| Dwayne Johnson** | Season 25, Episode 15 | March 18, 2000 | Pro wrestling |
| Derek Jeter | Season 27, Episode 11 | Dec. 1, 2001 | Baseball |
| Jonny Moseley | Season 27, Episode 13 | March 3, 2002 | Olympic skiing |
| Jeff Gordon | Season 28, Episode 9 | Jan. 11, 2003 | NASCAR |
| Andy Roddick | Season 29, Episode 5 | Nov. 8, 2003 | Tennis |
| Tom Brady | Season 30, Episode 17 | April 16, 2005 | Football |
| Lance Armstrong | Season 31, Episode 4 | Oct. 29, 2005 | Cycling |
| Peyton Manning | Season 32, Episode 16 | March 24, 2007 | Football |
| LeBron James | Season 33, Episode 1 | Sept. 29, 2007 | Basketball |
| Michael Phelps | Season 34, Episode 1 | Sept. 13. 2008 | Swimming |
| Eli Manning | Season 37, Episode 11 | May 5, 2012 | Football |
| Ronda Rousey | Season 41, Episode 11 | Jan. 23, 2016 | UFC and WWE |
| John Cena | Season 42, Episode 9 | Dec. 10, 2016 | Pro wrestling |
| J.J. Watt | Season 45, Episode 12 | Feb. 1, 2020 | Football |
| Travis Kelce | Season 48, Episode 14 | Mar. 4, 2023 | Football |
*Barkley would host three more episodes.
**The Rock would host four more episodes.
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