Hilary Knight, the captain of the US women’s ice hockey team, has responded to comments made by Donald Trump after the Americans won gold at the Winter Olympics, calling the president’s quip a “distasteful joke”.
After the US men’s ice hockey team won gold on Sunday, Trump called into the locker-room celebration and invited the players to be his guests at Tuesday’s State of the Union address.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” he said. “You do know that. I do believe I probably would be impeached [if the women’s team wasn’t invited].” Several of the men’s players were captured laughing at Trump’s comments in a video that later went viral.
Knight, a five-time Olympic medalist who is one of the most decorated players in women’s ice hockey history, addressed Trump’s remarks on Wednesday in an appearance on SportsCenter.
“I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
Trump’s comments and the reaction of the men’s players sparked a backlash in the days since the gold medal wins. Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal in the men’s overtime win over Canada, attempted to quell some of the reaction in a Good Morning America appearance on Tuesday.
“People are so negative about things,” he said. “I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support [the women’s team], how proud we are of them. The same way we feel about them, they feel about us.”
Knight told SportsCenter the support and respect between the men’s and women’s teams had been overshadowed by the controversy.
“I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on,” she said.
Kelly Pannek, a two-time gold medalist who had two assists for the US at the Olympics, echoed Knight.
“We all know being there what it felt like to have [the men’s team’s] support throughout the tournament, to support them and how great of a moment it was for everyone that was a fan of both teams,” Pannek told reporters Wednesday at a Minnesota Frost media availability. “The phone call specifically, it’s not surprising, to be frank. I don’t know why we’d expect differently.”
Asked on Wednesday about the response to the locker-room videos, US goaltender Jeremy Swayman told reporters, “We should’ve reacted differently.”
“We know that we’re so excited for the women’s team, we have so much respect for the women’s team,” said Swayman, who plays for the Boston Bruins. “To share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for.”
Twenty members of the men’s team, coming off their first Olympic gold since 1980, visited the White House on Tuesday and attended the State of the Union later that night. The women’s team, who defeated Canada to win their third gold medal since women’s hockey was added to the Games in 1998, declined an invitation, citing “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments”.
Trump said during his speech that the women’s team would visit the Oval Office “soon”, but USA Hockey has not confirmed any plans.
Knight, 36, had three goals and three assists in seven games at the Milano Cortina Olympics, which she said would be the last of her storied career. She has the most Olympic goals (15) and points (33) of any male or female American hockey player.
“I think this is a really good learning point to focus on how we talk about women, not only in sport but in industry,” she said Wednesday. “Women aren’t less than. Our achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed by anything else other than how great they are.”
