NHL players were back at practice with their teams on Feb. 25 as the athletes gear up for the resumption of the NHL regular season.
Jeremy Swayman, who was a backup for the U.S. men’s ice hockey team that won gold at Milano Cortina, rejoined the Boston Bruins on Wednesday after going to Washington, D.C., and visiting the White House and appearing at the State of the Union with most of his teammates.
During media availability Wednesday, Swayman was asked about the team’s reaction to a remark made by President Donald Trump about the U.S. women’s national ice hockey, which also won gold.
Swayman said the U.S. men’s team ‘should have reacted differently’ and voiced his support for the U.S. women’s team.
‘Yeah, we should have reacted differently,’ Swayman told reporters. ‘We know that we are so excited for the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team, and to share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for.’
He added: ‘Now that we’re home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA and sharing this incredible gold medal.”
What did President Trump say about women’s ice hockey team?
After the U.S. men’s ice hockey team won the gold medal, beating Canada 2-1 in overtime in Milan, FBI director Kash Patel was celebrating with the team. Trump called to send a congratulatory message to the gold medal-recipients.
‘What would really be cool, and we’ll do the White House next time, we’ll just have some fun, we have medals for you guys,’ Trump said on the call. ‘And we have to, I must tell you, we’re gonna have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?”
He continued: ‘I do believe I probably would be impeached’ if the women’s team wasn’t invited.
Members of the U.S. men’s team ice hockey had a chuckle about the remark. Their reaction was met with backlash from supporters of the women’s team.
Men’s team responds to backlash
U.S. men’s ice hockey team hero Jack Hughes, who scored the overtime goal to hand the USA the gold medal, was also asked about the reaction.
‘People are so negative about things. I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support (the women’s team), how proud we are of them, and we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us,’ Hughes said.
Swayman was apologetic for the way the men handled themselves.
He described the White House visit, though, as ‘an incredible honor.’
‘In the White House, it was an incredible honor. We all were there to represent our country celebrate gold medal for the United States,’ Swayman said. ‘That was something that we really embodied, and we’re really grateful to be a part of.”