Ellen Hughes, a former player for the American women's hockey squad in the early 1990s and mother of U.S. men's ice hockey team stars Jack and Quinn Hughes, has publicly addressed the recent controversy surrounding her sons' response to a joke made by former President Donald Trump. The incident occurred when Trump made a patronizing remark about inviting the gold medal-winning women's team to the nation's capital, which was met with laughter from the Hughes brothers and their teammates in the locker room.
Hughes Emphasizes Unity Over Politics
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show, Hughes was asked how the president's comments resonated with her. She responded by focusing on the broader impact of both teams' achievements. "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," said Hughes, who now serves as a player development consultant for the women's team.
She elaborated that the players care about bringing people together, regardless of political affiliations or hockey fandom. "People that cheered on that don't watch hockey, people that have politics on one side or on the other side, and that's all both the men's team and the women's team care about," Hughes added.
Synergy Between Men's and Women's Teams
Hughes went on to highlight the "synergy" between the two squads, both of which achieved undefeated runs to Olympic gold before defeating their Canadian rivals in overtime with identical 2-1 scores. "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 stressed.
She concluded by noting that the players focus on what they can control, such as promoting humanity and unity. "And the other things they cannot control. They care about humanity. They care about unity and they care about the country."
Backlash and Team Responses
Trump's joke and the subsequent laughter have sparked significant backlash, particularly from fans of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). In the days following the incident, USA Hockey, which oversees both teams, announced that the women's squad declined an invitation to attend President Trump's State of the Union address on Tuesday, citing scheduling conflicts.
This news prompted rapper Flavor Flav, known as a Team USA hype man, to extend an invitation to the American women for a future ceremony in Las Vegas. He later confirmed that the women's team has accepted his offer.
Men's Team Plans and Player Reactions
Meanwhile, Trump's plans for the men's team to attend the State of the Union appear to be moving forward. Several players shared photos aboard an Air Force jet on Tuesday, indicating their travel to Washington, D.C. Golden goal scorer Jack Hughes commented to the Daily Mail, expressing the team's excitement while addressing the political nature of the situation. "Everything is so political. We're athletes," he said.
Hughes also noted that the women's team has "busy schedules," similar to the men, and addressed the criticism on social media. "Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today," he told the tabloid. "People are so negative out there, and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing."
Uncertainty Over White House Ceremony
It remains unclear whether members of either team will attend a White House ceremony that Trump proposed for Wednesday. Such plans could conflict with the resumption of professional hockey, as NHL teams are set to return to play on Wednesday and PWHL teams on Thursday.
HuffPost has reached out to the White House and USA Hockey for further comment, but no additional details have been provided at this time.
