US Olympic Hockey Champions to Feature on Major NBC Broadcasts
Following their triumphant gold-medal performances at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, America's Olympic hockey stars are scheduled to make high-profile cameo appearances across two of NBC's flagship television shows. This media blitz comes amidst a backdrop of controversy stemming from a locker-room joke made by former President Donald Trump, which has ignited discussions about team dynamics and respect.
Star-Studded Lineup for SNL and The Tonight Show
According to reports from The Athletic, Team USA defenseman and Minnesota Wild standout Quinn Hughes will be featured on this weekend's episode of Saturday Night Live. Immediately after his SNL appearance, Hughes will travel back to St. Paul for a Sunday matinee NHL game against the visiting St. Louis Blues.
The elder Hughes brother will then return to New York for a Monday night appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He will be joined by his younger brother and Olympic teammate, Jack Hughes, as well as Team USA women's captain, Hilary Knight. This whirlwind schedule will see Quinn Hughes logging nearly 13,000 miles of travel since departing Milan, as he also flies back to St. Paul for a Tuesday game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Golden Moments in Milan
Both the US men's and women's hockey teams secured Olympic gold at the Milan Cortina Winter Games, each achieving dramatic overtime victories over rival Canada in their respective finals. The contributions of Knight and the Hughes brothers were pivotal to these historic wins.
- Hilary Knight's crucial equalizer in the women's final set the stage for Megan Keller's golden goal.
- Quinn Hughes scored an overtime winner against Sweden in the semi-finals, propelling the men's team to the championship game.
- Jack Hughes netted the overtime winner against Canada, securing America's third-ever Olympic gold medal in men's hockey.
Controversy Over Trump's Locker-Room Remarks
Knight's appearance alongside the Hughes brothers follows significant uproar over a joke made by former President Donald Trump during a locker-room conference call with the men's team on Sunday. While inviting the American men to celebrate their Olympic victory in Washington, Trump remarked, 'we're going to have to bring the women's team' before adding he 'would be impeached' if he did not.
Although many men's players were seen laughing at Trump's dismissive quip, Knight and other members of the women's team have been quick to defend their male counterparts. 'I think there's a genuine level of support there and respect,' Knight told ESPN, while describing Trump's joke as 'distasteful.'
Teammate Abbey Murphy echoed this sentiment on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, stating she has no concerns about how the men's team responded to Trump. She noted hearing a male player yell 'two for two' in celebration of the women's gold during the call, adding, 'We never felt anything bad from them…It's sad they even have to apologize for anything.'
Regret and Reconciliation Among Players
Despite this support, several men's players have expressed regret over their reactions to Trump's joke. Boston Bruins teammates Charlie McAvoy and Jeremy Swayman have both publicly addressed the incident.
'Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment,' defenseman McAvoy told media in Boston after returning from Team USA's gold-medal celebration in Washington. 'You know, things just happened really quick there.'
Goalie Jeremy Swayman shared a similar view with reporters a day earlier, admitting, 'We should've reacted differently. 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.'
Jack Hughes, a star center for the New Jersey Devils, has since downplayed the controversy, insisting the men's and women's players remain 'tight.' Notably, Trump's White House also extended an invitation to the women's team to visit Washington, but the squad declined, citing scheduling conflicts.
