Jack Hughes Addresses ‘Backlash’ After Men’s Hockey Team Accepts Trum… — and more

NEED TO KNOW

• Jack Hughes addressed the “backlash” he and his team received after accepting an invite from President Donald Trump to attend the State of the Union address
• The ice hockey star was invited to the event via phone call alongside Team USA men’s hockey following their win over Canada in the 2026 Winter Olympics
• Hughes also spoke about the US women’s hockey team declining Trump's invite following their respective Olympic gold medal win

Jack Hughes is speaking about his White House invite to attend the State of the Union following Team USA's thrilling 2-1 win over Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, Feb. 22.

The ice hockey star, 24, addressed the "backlash" he and the team received after accepting a personal invite via phone call in the Olympic locker room from President Donald Trump to visit the White House in celebration of their big gold medal win.

When asked by the Daily Mail how he feels about the visit and meeting the president, Hughes — who scored the "golden goal" to win the game for the men's hockey team's first Olympic win since the 1980 Miracle on Ice — replied that they're "excited" about it.

"Everything is so political. We're athletes. We're so proud to represent the U.S. and we get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president. You know, we're proud to be Americans," he told the outlet. "No matter what your views are, we're super excited to go."

The reporter then asked Hughes how he felt about the U.S. women's hockey team not going to the White House in the wake of their respective gold medal 2-1 win over Canada three days prior on Thursday, Feb. 19.

"They've got busy schedules, too," he replied, which aligned with the statement previously shared by a spokesperson for USA Hockey, who cited "previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games" as the reason why the women passed on the invite.

"Everyone is giving us backlash for all the social media stuff today," the Devils star continued, adding, "People are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing."

Hughes concluded by praising the women's team and all that they've accomplished.

"I think everyone in that locker room knows how much we support them and how proud we are of them," he made clear, adding, "And we know the same way we feel about them, they feel about us."

Jack’s older brother, Quinn Hughes — who is also on Team USA and play for the NHL’s Minnesota Wild — addressed the backlash when speaking withGood Morning Americavia video call on Tuesday, Feb. 24. 

“Yeah, we're excited to go. It's something you don't get to do every Tuesday. It's going to be special for us, but I'm glad you mentioned the women's team again. We're really happy for them,” Quinn, 26, said. 

“Obviously, a lot going on on social media surrounding our team and their team,” he continued. “In the last couple [times] we've done a lot of training with them and got to know a lot of those girls really well. We're extremely happy to come.”

Ellen Hughes, mom of the two Olympic men’s hockey stars and player development consultant for Team USA women’s ice hockey, also shared her reaction to the video of Trump congratulating the men's team before joking about inviting the gold-medal winning women's team.

"These players, both the men and women, can bring so much unity to a group and to a country," Ellen told Today,in part, on Tuesday. "They care about humanity, they care about unity and they care about the country," she added.

After winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the U.S. women's hockey team declined an invitation to attend Trump's State of the Union address.

The women's team secured gold medals at the Games in Italy on Thursday, Feb. 19, when they beat Team Canada 2-1 in overtime. It was the first time the U.S. women's team won gold since the 2018 games after losing to Team Canada in 2022.

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After the men's victory three days later, Trump spoke to the team over the phone as seen in a video shared on social media. Trump called their win "unbelievable" and invited the team to attend the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. He also invited them to the White House for a celebration the following day.

“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team,” Trump, 79, told the men with a laugh. “You do know that. I do believe I’d probably would be impeached [if the women’s team wasn’t invited].”

FBI Director Kash Patel sparked conversation online for partying with the men's hockey team in the locker room following the win, as seen in videos on social media. He, too, addressed the backlash he received about his own actions in a statement on X.

“For the very concerned media - yes, I love America and was extremely humbled when my friends, the newly minted Gold Medal winners on Team USA, invited me into the locker room to celebrate this historic moment with the boys- Greatest country on earth and greatest sport on earth,” Patel wrote.

The women's team declined the offer of a trip to Washington, D.C. in a statement to NBC News.

"We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal–winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement," a spokesperson for USA Hockey told the outlet. "Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate."

The spokesperson said that the athletes "were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment."

Read the original article on People

A WNBA veteran, two-time champion and former University of Georgia Bulldog Kara Braxton died in Atlanta over the weekend.

She was 43 years old.

Cobb County police said Braxton was involved in a single-vehicle crash on Atlanta's I-285 on the evening of Feb. 21. Braxton "failed to maintain her lane" before colliding with a median on the left shoulder.

Her death was confirmed by the WNBA on Feb. 22 with a statement on social media.

"It is with profound sadness that we mourn the passing of 2x WNBA Champion Kara Braxton," the organization said. "A 10-season veteran, Kara played with the Detroit Shock, Tulsa Shock, Phoenix Mercury, and New York Liberty. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and former teammates at this time."

Kara Braxton joins the Bulldogs

Georgia Basketball said they are mourning the "loss of former Lady Bulldog Kara Braxton, who played from 2002-2004," in a Feb. 22 post on X.

The 6 foot, 6 inch tall forward-center came to Athens from Jackson, Michigan and went on to win SEC Rookie of the Year, SEC All-Freshmen and All-SEC.

Braxton had a career 71 games, averaging 15.4 points a game. She was drafted in 2005 as the 7th overall pick to the Detroit Shock.

Braxton becomes two-time WNBA Champion

Braxton was named to the All-Rookie team in 2005, and went on to play five seasons with the Detroit Shock. She played one season with EAST, one season with Tulsa Shock, two seasons with Phoenix Mercury and four seasons with New York Liberty. She was waived from the New York Liberty in 2014, and worked with Nike before moving to Atlanta.

Braxton won the WNBA Championship twice with the Detroit Shock, first in 2006 and then again in 2008.

In 2023, Braxton came back to the University of Georgia to complete her degree.

"It has always been a goal of mine to come back and finish school, and finish what I started," Braxton said in an interview with The Frierson Files. "It's a very exciting time for me right now."

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kara Braxton, a former WNBA champion, killed in Atlanta crash at 43

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