Boston Bruins goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman, fresh off his gold medal with Team USA men’s hockey, admitted that he and his Olympic teammates could have handled their now-viral moment with President Donald Trump with more tact.
“We should have reacted differently,” he told reporters on Wednesday, February 25.
Trump, 79, congratulated the team over the phone in the moments after Team USA defeated Canada, 2-1 in overtime, on Sunday, February 22, in the gold medal game. During the conversation, Trump invited them to the White House and to attend his State of the Union address.
“We have medals for you guys. I must tell you, we‘re going to have to bring the women’s team,” Trump added as the men’s team laughed.
Trump also said he would probably “be impeached” if he did not invite the women. His comments and the team’s reaction have caused a social media firestorm as fans viewed it as disparaging toward the women.
“We know that we are so excited for the women’s team, we have so much respect for the women’s team,” Swayman, 27, continued. “And to share that gold medal with them, it’s something we’re forever grateful for. Now that we’re home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA in sharing this incredible gold medal.”
Swayman also explained how excited he and his teammates were to watch the women’s team capture the gold themselves. The women also defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime of the final.
“Plenty of us have crossed paths with them, whether it was in college or now with their professional league too, and we were so excited for them to win and get it done first,” he said. “Again, seeing them in the dining hall and sharing the victories together is something I’ll cherish forever.”
The men’s team ultimately attended Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24, where the president mentioned them and the women’s team, who declined the invitation, citing scheduling conflicts. Trump claimed the women will make their White House visit “soon.”
Swayman gushed about “the reaction that we’ve gotten from people in the U.S.” since coming home from the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“It was an incredible honor,” he said. “We all were there to represent our country, celebrate our gold medal for the United States and that was something that we really embodied and were really grateful to be a part of.”
As Team USA settles back in at home and prepares to return to the 2025-26 NHL season, Olympic hero Jack Hughes, who scored the game-winning goal against Canada, has also weighed in on the controversy.
“You’re in the moment, the president calls,” Hughes, 24, told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re blaring the music and then they pause the music and then the president calls. I don’t think … obviously, it is what it is now.”
Hughes added, “We have so much respect for the women’s team. They have so much respect for us. We’re all just proud Americans. We’re happy that we both swept the Olympics.”
