NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has said the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team never intended to disrespect the women’s team. His statement came days after a controversial locker room phone call during the Milan Cortina Games.
The issue grew after a speakerphone call from Donald Trump with the men’s team drew criticism online following its gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Video from the locker room circulated, in which Trump joked that he would need to invite the women’s team to the White House as well, or he “would probably be impeached.” Some players in the room laughed during the call, which became base of the criticism on social media.
Many fans and critics said the remark sounded dismissive of the women’s team, which also won gold in Milan. The clip became a major talking point for days after the Games.
Anybody who is mad about this video has a dump in their pants. Talking to the President after winning Gold is as American as Apple Pie. Hockey twitter stays the softest group of crybabies who ever existed. pic.twitter.com/MIXZS8c2f0
Now, Sportsnet reporter Eric Francis shared Bettman’s comments on X. The NHL commissioner said the moment did not reflect the real relationship between the two national teams.
“I’m not going to weigh in on the political front,” Bettman said. “I think what was portrayed was unfortunate, not accurate, and I know for a fact that the men’s team had no intention of doing anything to slight the women’s team.”
Bettman added that both teams actually celebrated each other during the Olympic run.
“If anything, both teams were chanting, ‘two-for-two,’” Bettman said. “How what happened, and how it was portrayed, I wish didn’t happen the way it did, and I think it was unfair to the men’s team.
“And I don’t think the women’s team had a different view of it. I mean, look at Hilary Knight and the others talking about what happened. These two teams respected each other.”
Bettman on the fallout from Trump's post-Olympics phone call with the U.S. men's team:
“I'm not going to weigh in on the political front. I think what was portrayed was unfortunate, not accurate, and I know for a fact that the men's team had no intention of doing anything to…
The controversy also drew a response from women’s captain Hilary Knight.
“I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and unfortunately, that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats,” Knight said on SportsCenter.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
Kendall Coyne (26) of the United States and Hilary Knight (21) celebrate after winning the gold medal in women’s ice hockey after defeating Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
The women’s team even declined an invitation to attend the State of the Union address. Officials cited scheduling issues and existing commitments.
On the Olympic ice, the United States swept the ice hockey tournaments in Milan Cortina. The men captured gold for the first time since 1980, while the women continued their strong Olympic record.
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