Haley Winn's Brothers: Viral Eagle-Headed Superfans at Milan Olympics
US hockey defender Haley Winn's three older brothers have emerged as her most enthusiastic and flamboyant supporters, both online and at the rink during the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. To describe the Winn brothers' pride for their younger sister as merely "supportive" would be a significant understatement. They have become internet sensations through their creative and patriotic displays of fandom.
Viral Videos and Patriotic Outfits
The brothers produce humorous viral videos in various costumes to cheer on Haley and her teammates. In some clips, they wear American flag-patterned jackets with matching bucket hats, providing enthusiastic narration of game results, including Haley's first Olympic goal. In other videos, they don red, white, and blue jumpsuits, cover their heads with bald eagle masks, and even simulate tabletop curling using an Aperol spritz and a napkin.
Many of these videos are filmed in the arena stands or in an alley near their rented Milan apartment. Despite their boisterous presence ahead of Team USA's gold medal game, they emphasize a crucial message to their hundreds of thousands of social media followers: "Watch the games."
A Family of Hockey Talent
Haley Winn, aged 22, represents a new generation of female athletes elevating professional women's hockey, soccer, and basketball. Her brothers want everyone to recognize the true stars. "It's about them," Ryan Winn, 27, told The Associated Press. "It's not about us."
The United States and Canada are set to face off in their seventh Olympic final since women's hockey debuted at the 1998 Nagano Games. This rivalry remains intense, particularly this year amid heightened political tensions between the two nations.
The True Talent Emerges
All four Winn siblings grew up skating on their family's backyard ice rink in Rochester, New York. While the three exuberant brothers played college hockey, their quieter, humbler sister demonstrated exceptional talent early on. "Haley just turned out to be the absolute beast out of all of us," Ryan Winn remarked.
Casey Winn, 29, recalled Haley starting on the ice before she could walk, "pushing a bucket around." Ryan added, "She always wanted to be the hardest worker. She always wanted to compete against us, and she wants to be the best."
After playing at Clarkson University in New York, Haley Winn was the second overall pick in last year's Professional Women's Hockey League draft and currently plays for the Boston Fleet. The Milan Cortina Olympics mark her debut, where she has scored one goal and provided three assists over six games leading up to the final.
Elevating Their Support
The brothers began their outlandish shows of support during the 2024 World Championship in Utica, New York. Ryan Winn, a video producer, explained they aimed to elevate their game for the Olympics, both in the stands and on social media. "So we were like, 'What can we do that's next level?'" he said. "We're going to add an eagle head to it."
This inspiration came from Team USA's goal celebration song, "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. For added effect, the brothers flap their arms like wings in the stands, creating another viral sensation. "She laughs about it, she comments on our posts," Ryan noted. "She didn't know any of the outfits that were coming, so she's just as surprised as anybody else when she sees the fits."
Advocating for Women's Sports
The Winn brothers acknowledge the absurdity of their bald eagle jumpsuits but are steadfast in their belief that elite women's hockey deserves equal respect to the men's game. "If someone says they don't like women's sports or 'I just want to watch the NHL and not the PWHL,' it's because you haven't watched enough games," Ryan Winn asserted. "These are highly skilled, high-level players who have devoted their lives to this craft, playing explosively."
Haley Winn's journey and her brothers' viral support highlight the growing prominence of women's sports on the global stage, blending family pride with a powerful advocacy message.
