Jake Oettinger, the goaltender for the Dallas Stars and part of the U.S. men’s hockey team, recently shared his thoughts on President Trump’s remarks regarding the U.S. women’s hockey team’s gold medal victory.
After the U.S. team triumphed over Canada, President Trump reached out via phone, inviting the men’s team to the State of the Union. He humorously warned them that they “must invite” the women’s team to avoid facing impeachment, eliciting laughter from the players.
This comment, along with the players’ response, quickly gained traction online and faced backlash from fans. When asked about Trump’s call, Oettinger expressed his strong support for women’s hockey. He emphasized his excitement for their success, recalling how thrilled he was watching their games.
“Honestly, I think no one supports women’s hockey more than I do. I know quite a few players personally. If we were both at the same bar watching games, I’d probably be the most excited one there when they clinched the gold,” Oettinger remarked to the media on Wednesday.
He acknowledged how talented the women are, saying, “They deserve every bit of recognition. I was genuinely happy for them. It was great to connect with some of them.” Also, he pointed out how impressive it is that both men’s and women’s teams secured gold medals.
Oettinger mentioned he had watched the women’s match against Canada during the qualifier round.
Initially, the women’s team declined Trump’s invitation to the White House, although he later stated in his address that they would be visiting. Oettinger, while he supported his fellow goalie Connor Hellebuyck during the Olympics, was absent from the ice during the event.
As one of five players who didn’t make the trip to the White House, Oettinger explained, “While I felt honored to receive the invite, I had family obligations and a busy schedule with the Stars.”
“Being invited to the White House is a tremendous honor, but I’d been in Italy for about a month and wanted to focus on my game back home. Plus, I have a three-month-old baby, and we’ve been traveling quite a bit,” he added.
Other members of Team USA who also missed the White House visit included Brock Nelson, Jackson Lacombe, Jake Guentzel, and Kyle Connor.
