Swayman: ‘We should’ve reacted differently’ to President Trump’s comments on women’s Olympic hockey team

Another member of the United States men’s hockey team is speaking about an ongoing saga that has spanned the past few days.

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman was asked about how the team responded to U.S. President Trump’s inappropriate remarks about having to invite the American women’s team to the White House.

“We should’ve reacted differently,” Swayman said.

In the locker room following the U.S. men’s team’s triumph over Canada in the gold medal game to close out the 2026 Winter Olympics, Trump, speaking to the team on a phone held by FBI director Kash Patel (who was clearly drinking with the players), formally invited them to the White House, and asked them to attend to the State of the Union address on Tuesday night.

He also went out of his way to inform the team that he would be inviting the women’s team as well.

“I must tell you,” Trump said. “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that? … I do believe I probably would be impeached.”

Some of the players laughed at Trump’s unamusing joke, leading to immediate backlash online, with many believing the athletes thought less of the women’s team, who had beaten Canada to win gold just three days earlier.

Swayman stated that the players on the men’s roster held the women in high regard.

“We are so excited for the women’s team,” Swayman said. “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. Now that we’re home, we’re going to share that together forever and see the incredible support we have from the USA, and share this incredible gold medal.”

Forward Jack Hughes, who was the overtime hero against Canada on Sunday, spoke to the media before the team made the trip to Washington, claiming that the reaction from the team’s celebratory reaction was a little far-fetched, claiming that “people are so negative out there.”

“They are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,” Hughes said. “Our relationship with them, over the course of being in the Athletes’ Village, I think we are so tight with their group.”

The women’s team declined Trump’s eventual invitation to Washington, D.C., “due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments.”

While five players from Team USA didn’t make the trip to the White House, Swayman was one of many who got to meet Trump in the Oval Office, with some sticking around for the State of the Union.

“It was an incredible honor,” Swayman said. “We all were there to represent our country, celebrate the gold medal for the United States. That was something that we really embodied and we’re really grateful to be a part of it.”

Trump announced on Tuesday that Swayman’s goaltending partner in Milan, Connor Hellebuyck, will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his efforts in the gold medal game.