Goalie for the Boston Bruins Jeremy Swaymanfresh off his gold medal with Team USA’s men’s hockey team, he admitted that he and his Olympic teammates couldn’t handle their now dangerous time President Donald Trump with great wisdom.
“We should have reacted differently,” he told reporters on Wednesday, February 25.
Trump, 79, congratulated the team by phone after Team USA defeated Canada, 2-1 in overtime, on Sunday, February 22, in the gold medal game. In the interview, Trump invites them to the White House and attend his State of the Union address.
“We have your medals, guys. I have to tell you, we’re going to have to bring a women’s team,” Trump said while the men’s team laughed.
Trump also said he might be “impeached” if he doesn’t invite women. Her comments and the group’s actions sparked a firestorm on social media as fans saw it as degrading to women.
“We know we really appreciate the women’s team, we have a lot of respect for the women’s team,” continued Swayman, 27. “And to share that gold medal with them, it’s something we’re always grateful for. Now that we’re home, we’ll be able to share that together forever and see the amazing support we have from the USA in sharing this amazing gold medal.”
Swayman also explained how happy she and her teammates were to watch the women’s team take home the gold themselves. The women also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime in the final.
“Most of us have played against them, whether it was in college or now with their professional league, and we’re very happy for them to win and do it first,” he said. “Also, seeing them in the dining hall and sharing the victory together is something I will cherish forever.”
The men’s delegation ended up attending Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24, where the president addressed them and the women’s delegation, who declined the invitation, citing scheduling conflicts. Trump said women will visit the White House “soon.”
Swayman spoke passionately about “the response we’ve had from the US people” since returning to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
“It was an incredible honor,” he said. “We were all there to represent our country, celebrating our gold medal for the United States and it was something that we were all connected to and were very grateful to be a part of.”
As Team USA settles in at home and prepares to return for the 2025-26 NHL season, the Olympic champion Jack Hugheswho scored a goal against Canada, has resolved this controversy.
“He’s here right now, the president is calling,” Hughes, 24, told reporters Wednesday. “We play the music and they pause the music and the president calls. I don’t think … obviously, this is what it is now.”
Hughes added, “We have a lot of respect for the women’s team. They have a lot of respect for us. We’re all proud Americans. We’re glad we both swept the Olympics.”
