Ellen Hughes is defending the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team amid backlash over their celebratory phone call with President Donald Trump, saying the story of Milan is about unity, not politics, and that both the men’s and women’s squads were focused on bringing the country together.
“Well, I think at the end of the day, it’s just about the country and the moment that these players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country,” she said when asked how Trump’s remarks landed with her. “People that cheered on, that don’t watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side.”
She described the moment as something very special for “a bunch of amazing" men and women to win gold twice. "It just says so much for USA Hockey and where our sport is in this great country.”
Hughes described men’s and women’s players sharing dorms, hallways, and common spaces at the Games and said their relationship off the ice reflected the togetherness the public saw during both gold‑medal runs. “If you could see what we see from the inside and the men and women sharing, you know, dorms, dorm rooms and halls and flex floors and the camaraderie and the synergy and the way the women cheered on the men, and the way the men cheered on the women, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. “They care about humanity, they care about unity, and they care about the country.”
“I just told my people two minutes ago … we’re giving the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. I can send a military plane or something,” Trump said, before the players cut in with, “We’re in.” One player asked if the plane could collect them in Miami on Tuesday morning, and Trump replied, “We’ll get Kash or we’ll get the military to get you guys over,” adding that they would not “have to worry about the weather or landing.”
Trump then floated a White House visit the next day, telling the team, “We’ll just have some fun. We have medals for you guys,” and turned to the women’s team, saying, “We’re gonna have to bring the woman’s team,” he said, adding that “I do believe I probably would be impeached,” if they were not invited, he said in a joking manner. A video clip of the exchange, posted on social media, has drawn millions of views and criticism from some who felt the women’s champions were treated as an afterthought.
Trump invited both the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams to the State of the Union, but the women said Monday they could not attend because of “timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games.” “We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the team said in a statement, adding that they were “honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
The women completed a perfect 7–0 tournament, reclaiming Olympic gold with Megan Keller’s overtime winner against Canada on Feb. 19 after a late tying goal by captain Hilary Knight, who set U.S. records for career Olympic goals and points. Three days later, Jack Hughes scored in overtime, and Hellebuyck stopped 41 of 42 shots as the U.S. men snapped a 46‑year gold‑medal drought in the rivalry, echoing the “Miracle on Ice” breakthrough of 1980.
Hughes, who played for the U.S. women’s national team and earned a silver medal at the 1992 Women’s World Championship, said watching both tournaments unfold from the stands left her more anxious than when she played herself. “I couldn’t be prouder of what the men’s team did and what the women’s team did, and when I watched the women win gold in overtime, I thought it was the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life,” she said. “And then I had to do it a couple of days over when the men did it to us as well and took us to overtime.”
She brushed off concern about Jack’s teeth being knocked out during the gold‑medal game, calling it part of the sport’s hazards. “I was glad it was his teeth and nothing more. What are you gonna do? They’ll have a good dentist. They’ll get it fixed,” she said. “And what a moment. And when he scored, I wasn’t even sure it was he that scored … for all the parents, it really doesn’t matter who scores. It’s about winning. And I know the women felt the same way, and it was just such a historic moment it didn’t matter who scored.”
Hughes said the family has always told their three sons—Jack and Luke of the New Jersey Devils and Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild—to speak authentically, a lesson she believes came through in Jack’s speech after the win. “We’ve always taught our kids to talk from their heart,” she said. “If they speak from their heart, then you get the reality of how they’re really feeling. And I thought he couldn’t have captured the moment better and spoke on behalf of all of his teammates and all of the women in the way they felt when they captured gold as well for our country.”