US Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes opens up about support for women's team amid backlash over Trump's joke

Team USA Olympic hockey leader Jack Hughes spoke astir his enactment for his country's women's hockey squad aft his squad was the taxable of backlash for laughing astatine a gag by President Donald Trump astir the women's team. 

During an interrogation connected ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" Friday, Hughes opened up astir his respect for the women's squad aft McAfee appeared to notation the contention by joking that Hughes and his teammates "hate" the women players. 

"We are hanging retired with them truthful much, the women's team. We were supporting them. Like, we were astatine their games, they were astatine our games," Hughes said. 

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Jack Hughes of the United States celebrates aft a golden medal triumph during against Canadaat Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games Feb. 22, 2026, successful Milan, Italy.  (Elsa/Getty Images)

Hughes past appeared to code the caller disapproval of his squad for its effect to Trump's joke.

"Like each these radical talking, however galore of them watched their golden medal game? Me and Quinn Hughes were astatine the game. We were astatine the crippled until similar overtime ended connected the glass, and we were jumping up and down truthful excited for these girls, truthful excited they won," Hughes said. 

"And however galore of these radical watched the golden medal game, watched their semifinals game? Like 10 of the 10 of our players went to their crippled successful the round-robin. Like, we supported them truthful much, and we're truthful arrogant of them. We're truthful blessed that they won, and they brought a golden medal backmost and that, you know, I said it, the men's and women's squad some brought golden medals back. So, conscionable unbelievable for USA hockey."

Hughes, who scored the game-winning overtime extremity against Canada to triumph gold, reflected connected his enactment with the subordinate connected the U.S. women's squad who did the same, Megan Keller.

"Me and her had a large infinitesimal successful the cafeteria aft her golden medal game. We played Slovakia the adjacent night, and it was similar a precocious game. And we were successful the pasta enactment — maine and Megan. They were conscionable getting acceptable to spell retired again, and I conscionable gave her a monolithic hug, and I said, 'I'm truthful blessed for you. I'm truthful arrogant of you,'" Hughes said. 

"A mates nights later, saw her again successful the [cafeteria], and we took a large representation and, uh, she conscionable gave maine a large hug and was truthful pumped for maine arsenic well." 

Hughes told reporters aft the crippled the archetypal happening helium thought astir erstwhile the puck went successful was Keller, who scored the aureate extremity for the United States women's squad against Canada 3 days earlier.

US WOMEN'S HOCKEY GOLD MEDALIST SAYS IT'S 'SAD' MEN'S TEAM HAD TO APOLOGIZE FOR OLYMPICS CONTROVERSY

The contention surrounding the men's squad stemmed from a locker country telephone telephone betwixt the players and Trump close aft their golden medal triumph implicit Canada. 

Trump told the men's squad aft inviting them to Tuesday's State of the Union code that he'd "have" to invitation the women's team, different "I astir apt would beryllium impeached." The squad laughed successful response, prompting immense backlash. 

Several mainstream media outlets penned op-eds condemning the men's squad for laughing astatine the gag and past visiting the White House to observe and Trump's State of the Union address. 

The United States' Jack Hughes (86), who scored the winning overtime goal, celebrates aft defeating Canada successful the men's crystal hockey golden medal crippled astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy Feb. 22, 2026.  (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

U.S. women's hockey skipper Hilary Knight said connected Wednesday's variation of ESPN's "SportsCenter" that Trump's "distasteful joke" has "overshadow[ed]" the women's success.

"I thought it was benignant of a distasteful joke, and, unfortunately, that is overshadowing a batch of the success, the occurrence of conscionable women astatine the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having astonishing golden medal feats," Knight said.

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"We're conscionable focusing connected celebrating the women successful our room, the bonzer efforts, and proceed to observe 3 golden medals successful programme past arsenic good arsenic the treble golden for some men's and women's astatine the aforesaid time. And truly not detract from that with a distasteful joke."

Hughes’ mother, Ellen, a erstwhile Team USA subordinate and existent subordinate improvement unit member, said the players lone cared astir "bring[ing] truthful overmuch unity to a radical and to a country."

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