Leading figures of the U. S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team handed formal apologies and letters of regret to the women players on Thursday. The decision came after a tremendous public outrage when a video that showed the male players laughing at a joke made by President Donald Trump during a congratulatory locker room phone call went viral.
During the call, Trump joked that he would “probably be impeached” if he didn’t also invite the gold medal-winning ladies’ team to the White House, a comment that the women’s captain, Hilary Knight, called “offensive. “
The apologies from household names such as Jeremy Swayman and Charlie McAvoy are part of the effort to mend the shattered story of what was supposed to be a united celebration of American hockey supremacy at the Winter Olympics 2026 Milano Cortina Games.
The “Mistake” In Milan: Why The Men Are Backtracking
The main reason for the apologies was the huge disparity between the men’s and women’s team experiences after each of their gold medal wins over Canada. The men were flown in a private charter to the State of the Union and met President Trump, while the women’s team went on a commercial flight and eventually turned down the Washington invitation, giving “academic and professional commitments” as their reason.
One of the first people to comment on the viral video was the goalie Jeremy Swayman, who said that the excitement of the moment caused a “lapse in judgment” regarding the president’s rhetoric.
He pointed out that the two teams’ relationship was built in the Olympic Village and that the speakerphone laughter was not meant to mock the women’s team’s achievements.
On the same lines, Charlie McAvoy mentioned that the video was “not reflective” of the profound respect the men have for players like Hilary Knight, who, in terms of Olympic points, is the highest scorer in the history of American hockey.
Hilary Knight And The Women’s Team Demand A Shift In Narrative
Even with apologies from a few male stars, the U.S. Women’s Team isn’t letting anything distract them. They’re locked in on taking back the spotlight. Captain Hilary Knight has been everywhere this week.
Hilary Knight isn’t letting a joke overshadow a historic double gold — calling Trump’s comment ‘distasteful’ and refocusing the conversation on women’s achievements. 🏒💪🇺🇸
— TRUE STORY HUB (@truestoryhub) February 27, 2026
She made it clear: the way we talk about women matters. Sure, she gets that the men were thrown into a tough situation when the President called, but she’s not letting that excuse things. Winning two gold medals is huge, and she’s not about to let some careless “locker-room talk” from the top overshadow what her team accomplished.
Also Read – F1 2026: Max Verstappen Faces the Ultimate Litmus Test in Red Bull’s New Ford Era
