On February 22, 2026, the US Men’s Hockey team and the Canada Men’s Hockey team found themselves in a 3 v. 3 sudden-death overtime in the 2026 Winter Olympics championship round. One minute and 41 seconds later, 25-year-old center Jack Hughes scored the winning goal for the US, making the final score between the U.S. and Canada 2-1. This milestone marked the first gold medal that the US Men’s Hockey team had won in 46 years. However, what was meant to be a monumental moment that was celebrated by the internet quickly turned sour.
The Joke
Shortly following the victory, a video of the players in the locker room huddled around a phone began to circulate on the internet. The players were on the phone with President Trump, and what was supposed to be a simple invite to the White House to celebrate their achievement became a moment of degradation to the US Women’s Hockey team, who had also won gold.
“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 said. Laughter erupted in the room as the players graciously accepted his invitation. President Trump then extended his invitation to the Women’s team, who politely declined by saying they had scheduling conflicts and wouldn’t be able to attend. After seeing the women’s team decline the President’s invite, American rapper Flavor Flav reached out to them and offered to host a “real celebration” that would entail dinners and shows for them in Las Vegas this July, which they agreed to attend.
The Controversy
After the video gained traction, the internet quickly became heated over not only the joke that President Trump made, but also the way that the men’s team had reacted to it. To many, it seemed as though the women’s team was still having to fight for recognition within their sport, even though they have won 3 gold medals in a much shorter time than the men have won theirs.
“Don’t know why they’re laughing, it didn’t take the women 46 years to win another gold,” one user wrote on TikTok. Another user also commented, saying, “As an NHL fan since 2014, every one of those players has lost my support.” Thousands of comments such as these continue to flood videos that speak on the joke.
The Meal
On February 24, 2026, President Trump hosted the men’s players in the Oval Office before attending the State of the Union Address that evening. The players were seen in various videos and photos sitting around the table, eating fast food burgers and fries, with silverware. Many users on Twitter called out the President, saying it was “embarrassing to be feeding our athletes like this” and “they got what they deserve by going there in the first place! Disgrace on both ends!”
This meal only further allowed the controversy around the Men’s hockey team to continue to grow. These men were laughing at the fact that the women would have to get invited, rather than celebrating both of their achievements and sticking up for them. In return, they were presented with a mediocre meal when they had access to some of the best chefs, and the women were getting a thoughtful weekend, with support from Alaska Airlines and MGM Resorts planned out for them in July of 2026. Both teams won gold medals, but one was becoming increasingly more respected than the other.
A New Audience
This win for both teams comes at the height of the Crave original Heated Rivalry. The show is about two fictional, rival male hockey players, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, who fall in love with each other and have to deal with the internal battle of accepting themselves, and the external battle of homophobia within the hockey world. This show attracted a different audience to hockey, a predominantly female audience that’s based around pop culture. A lot of newer female fans expressed their hurt and conflicting feelings about the joke. It’s hard to go from quickly falling in love with a new sport and new league to realizing that the league will never love you the same.
A Message From Hilary Knight
On February 25, 2026, US women’s team captain Hilary Knight was interviewed and asked what she thought about the joke that President Trump made, along with the men’s team’s reaction. “I just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate,” Knight stated, “The way women are represented, it’s a great teaching point and to really shine light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats.”
She continued, “And now I have to sort of sit in front of you and explain someone else’s behavior, it’s not my responsibility.” She wraps up her answer by explaining that she wants to shift the narrative and focus on the thing that is bigger than the joke: The achievement itself. “Granted, the Men’s and the Women’s teams did it together, and that is super special, it’s never been done in our program’s history, and it’s something we are super proud about” Many people online noted that they appreciated how she was still graciously giving credit to the Men’s team, despite them insulting the Women’s team.
Saturday Night Live
February 28, 2026, actor Connor Storrie, who plays the Russian hockey player Ilya Rozanov in the show Heated Rivalry, hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL). A few days prior, many were speculating on the internet that the US Men’s and Women’s hockey teams would come out as surprise guests on the show that night; these speculations turned out to be true. Storrie was seen introducing both Jack and Quinn Hughes, who represented the men’s hockey team. They got a short applause from the audience, before making a joke about not watching Storrie’s show, then joked about what happened in it, and whether or not it was actually about hockey. Storrie went on to say, “Oh, I hope some hockey players watched it.” Before the Women’s team captain, Hilary Knight, and game winner Megan Keller stepped out, getting a much louder and longer-lasting applause from the audience. “Don’t worry, we saw your show.” Keller joked, before Knight said, “It was just going to be us, but we thought we’d invite the men too,” Which was clearly a dig at the President’s joke that the Men’s team laughed at.
Reactions To The Appearance
Although the guest’s appearance was expected, many were still disappointed. They felt as though the SNL skit made the situation a lot more light-hearted and weightless than it actually was, as if it was simply for PR to repair the men’s hockey team’s reputation, rather than them actually feeling sorry for laughing about the joke.
“I hate how the women had to do damage control and turn it into a big joke when neither of the guys even apologized,” one user wrote on TikTok. Another commented on the women’s applause compared to the men’s, “I loved the ovation and cheers the women received vs. the applause the men received. Both teams got the response they deserved.” There are still countless who felt as though the appearance of the men’s team was unnecessary and thought it was unfair of the women to have to clean up their mess.
A Lesson
As of early March, President Trump has yet to come forward and apologize for this joke, and the Men’s hockey team has also not apologized for their reaction. This incident goes to show how women in this sport still can’t seem to grasp the same respect and appreciation that men do. Not by their male counterparts, but also to society. As a woman who wants to work in sports in the future, I hope that we are able to use this as a lesson on the importance of treating women in sports with the same respect that we do for men. At the end of the day, a gold medal is still a gold medal, no matter who wears it. The ability to recognize the dedication and hard work of all athletes allows for a sports culture that is fueled by respect, rather than rivalry.
