Team USA women’s captain calls Trump’s White House invite ‘a distasteful joke’

Leafs captain Auston Matthews spoke about his visit to the White House on Tuesday, saying it’s an honour to be invited ‘no matter who’s in office.'

The captain of the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team, Hilary Knight, says the president’s remarks about having to bring her gold-medal winning squad to the State of the Union were a “distasteful joke.” Auston Matthews, who served as captain of the men’s team, also called the situation “unfortunate” following backlash to his teammates’ reactions.

“We have nothing but love and respect for the women’s team and what they were able to accomplish,” said Matthews, who is also the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs. “It’s amazing that the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams were both bringing home gold medals for the United States of America.”

The men’s team won gold for the first time since their 1980 “Miracle on Ice” after defeating the Canadians 2-1 in overtime, thanks to Jack Hughes’ game-winning goal.

After an invite from Trump, the men’s hockey team visited the White House Tuesday afternoon before being received at the State of the Union address later that evening.

But a phone call between Trump and the team following Sunday’s game has sparked controversy.

“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump told the team. “I do believe I would be impeached.”

This comment and reaction from the players, in which they can be heard laughing, has garnered a lot of attention on social media.

Hayley Scamurra, a member of the U.S. women’s hockey team, addressed the comments from Trump on Wednesday.

“Honestly, since that call, we’ve received so much love and support from different brands, different celebrities, just people from all over just congratulating us,” she said. “That’s what we really want to focus on.”

Hilary Knight, captain of the women’s hockey team, addressed the comments on ESPN’s SportsCenter Wednesday. She called them “a distasteful joke.”

“Unfortunately, that is overshadowing a lot of the success, and the success of women at the Olympics,” she said. “We’re just trying to focus on celebrating the women in our room.”

During the address, Trump announced the women’s team, who declined his State of the Union invite, would be coming to the White House “soon.”

But the communications manager for USA Hockey didn’t announce a date for a visit.

“Players are back competing with their professional and collegiate teams and are in the midst of their season,” she said in a statement. “They’re honoured and grateful to be invited and any opportunity to visit the White House as a team will be based on their schedules once their seasons conclude.

‘We love the women’s team’

Matthews told reporters on Wednesday that it was unfortunate the phone call unfolded the way it did.

“We’re extremely proud of them and happy for them and we 100 per cent support them,” he said.

U.S. goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who plays for the Boston Bruins, acknowledges he and his teammates could’ve handled the moment better.

“We are so excited for the women’s team, and we have so much respect for the women’s team,” he said. “To share that gold medal with them is something we are forever grateful for.”

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger echoed Swayman’s comments.

“There’s no one that supports women’s hockey more than me,” he said. “They’re incredible and they deserve all the credit in the world.”

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor says he doesn’t remember a whole lot of what happened in the locker room.

“There were so many things happening where you just won the gold medal and things are going on, so I don’t really remember,” he said. “It was such a whirlwind celebrating with teammates.”

Laura Misener, a professor at the School of Kinesiology at Western University, said she would’ve liked to have seen a better response from the men’s team earlier in the week.

“I think it was unfortunate that there wasn’t more made of it from the men, that they could be stronger by standards to such problematic behaviour,” she said. “Unfortunately, often that becomes the nature of the gendered sport that we have right now. I would’ve liked to have seen more of them step up and be more supportive.”

“I think for the women, I would hope they would take this with a grain of salt and move on from it,” she added.

Trump honours Jets’ Hellebuyck

Despite the controversy, Trump also announced he plans to award Winnipeg Jets star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck the nation’s highest civilian honour, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 shots in the Olympic gold-medal game, tapped his heart as those in the chamber applauded. He will become the first professional hockey player to receive this award.

“It’s being awarded to him at a time that’s, kind of a bit unique politically in history, and just the endorsement of that hockey team by their president,” said Murat Ates, who reports on the Jets for The Athletic.

“The game that Connor Hellebuyck played against Team Canada, being the best player on the ice for Team USA’s gold medal, for me, is one of those things that moves him from one of the best goalies of his generations to a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”