Jack Hughes defends Workforce USA males’s help for ladies’s hockey staff

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Workforce USA Olympic hockey hero Jack Hughes spoke about his help for his nation's ladies's hockey staff after his staff was the topic of backlash for laughing at a joke by President Donald Trump concerning the ladies's staff.

Throughout an interview on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Present" Friday, Hughes opened up about his respect for the ladies's staff after McAfee appeared to reference the controversy by joking that Hughes and his teammates "hate" the ladies gamers.

"We're hanging out with them a lot, the ladies's staff. We have been supporting them. Like, we have been at their video games, they have been at our video games," Hughes stated.

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Jack Hughes of the US celebrates after a gold medal win throughout towards Canadaat Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Area throughout the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic video games Feb. 22, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Elsa/Getty Photographs)

Hughes then appeared to deal with the current criticism of his staff for its response to Trump's joke.

"Like all these folks speaking, what number of of them watched their gold medal recreation? Me and Quinn Hughes have been on the recreation. We have been on the recreation till like time beyond regulation ended on the glass, and we have been leaping up and down so excited for these women, so excited they received," Hughes stated.

"And what number of of those folks watched the gold medal recreation, watched their semifinals recreation? Like 10 of the ten of our gamers went to their recreation within the round-robin. Like, we supported them a lot, and we're so pleased with them. We're so comfortable that they received, and so they introduced a gold medal again and that, you recognize, I stated it, the lads's and girls's staff each introduced gold medals again. So, simply unbelievable for USA hockey."

Hughes, who scored the game-winning time beyond regulation aim towards Canada to win gold, mirrored on his interplay with the participant on the U.S. ladies's staff who did the identical, Megan Keller.

"Me and her had an amazing second within the cafeteria after her gold medal recreation. We performed Slovakia the following evening, and it was like a late recreation. And we have been within the pasta line — me and Megan. They have been simply on the point of exit once more, and I simply gave her an enormous hug, and I stated, 'I am so comfortable for you. I am so pleased with you,'" Hughes stated.

"A pair nights later, noticed her once more within the [cafeteria], and we took an amazing image and, uh, she simply gave me an enormous hug and was so pumped for me as properly."

Hughes informed reporters after the sport the very first thing he considered when the puck went in was Keller, who scored the golden aim for the US ladies's staff towards Canada three days earlier.

US WOMEN'S HOCKEY GOLD MEDALIST SAYS IT'S 'SAD' MEN'S TEAM HAD TO APOLOGIZE FOR OLYMPICS CONTROVERSY

The controversy surrounding the lads's staff stemmed from a locker room cellphone name between the gamers and Trump proper after their gold medal win over Canada.

Trump informed the lads's staff after inviting them to Tuesday's State of the Union handle that he'd "have" to ask the ladies's staff, in any other case "I most likely could be impeached." The staff laughed in response, prompting immense backlash.

A number of mainstream media retailers penned op-eds condemning the lads's staff for laughing on the joke after which visiting the White Home to have a good time and Trump's State of the Union handle.

The US' Jack Hughes (86), who scored the successful time beyond regulation aim, celebrates after defeating Canada within the males's ice hockey gold medal recreation on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photograph/Carolyn Kaster)

U.S. ladies's hockey captain Hilary Knight stated on Wednesday's version of ESPN's "SportsCenter" that Trump's "distasteful joke" has "overshadow[ed]" the ladies's success.

"I believed it was form of a distasteful joke, and, sadly, that's overshadowing lots of the success, the success of simply ladies on the Olympics carrying for Workforce USA and having wonderful gold medal feats," Knight stated.

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"We're simply specializing in celebrating the ladies in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and proceed to have a good time three gold medals in program historical past in addition to the double gold for each males's and girls's on the identical time. And actually not detract from that with a distasteful joke."

Hughes’ mom, Ellen, a former Workforce USA participant and present participant growth workers member, stated the gamers solely cared about "convey[ing] a lot unity to a gaggle and to a rustic."

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Associated Article Jackson Thompson is a sports activities reporter for Fox Information Digital protecting vital political and cultural points in sports activities, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal authorities actions associated to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media retailers together with The New York Instances, The Los Angeles Instances, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Related Press and ESPN.com.