Bettman Defends U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

The controversy ignited after the U.S. men's team, celebrating their gold medal win at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, received a speakerphone call from then-President Donald Trump. During the call, Trump joked that he would have to invite the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's team to the White House as well, or he'd risk being impeached, a comment which drew laughter from some players. This reaction was widely criticized as sexist and dismissive of the women's team's identical achievement. The incident quickly overshadowed the double-gold victory for U.S. hockey, creating a public relations crisis for USA Hockey. The women's team ultimately declined the White House invitation, citing travel logistics. In his defense of the players, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stated the portrayal of the event was "unfortunate and not accurate." He insisted the men's team had no intention of slighting the women's team and that, in the locker room, both teams were mutually supportive, chanting "Two for two" to celebrate their shared victories. Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin, who served as the GM for the Olympic team, also defended his players, stating, "Nothing's going to ruin this." Guerin had previously faced scrutiny for the team's roster construction, which favored grit over some high-scoring players like Jason Robertson and Cole Caufield. Players involved, including Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson, later addressed the backlash, emphasizing their respect for the women's team and explaining their reactions as being caught up in the emotional post-game celebration. U.S. women's captain Hilary Knight acknowledged the situation was "distasteful" but urged using it as a "learning point for how we talk about women."