The Seattle Torrent's captain said President Donald Trump’s snub about inviting the U.S women’s hockey team to the White House was “distasteful” and “unfortunate” at a news conference inside the Space Needle on Wednesday. The team won gold against Canada at the winter Olympics in Milan.
On a call inviting the U.S. men’s hockey team to the White House for their gold medal win, Trump said he had to invite the women’s team as well, joking that if he didn’t, he “would probably be impeached.” A video of the call went viral, sparking criticism against him and the men’s team, who laughed at the president’s remarks.
The women’s team declined Trump’s invitation, saying the meeting conflicted with players’ schedules. But they accepted another invite to celebrate the win in Las Vegas from rapper and Hall of Fame inductee Flavor Flav.
Hilary Knight, team captain of the Seattle Torrent and the U.S. women’s hockey team, said it wasn't her responsibility to explain someone else’s behavior. Instead, she wants to shift the narrative back on the team’s legacy and what they have accomplished.
“These women are amazing,” Knight said. “Whatever is going on should never outshine and minimize their work and our work on the world’s stage.”
Among the accomplishments, includes Knight’s game-tying goal with 2:04 left in the last period against Canada, sending the game into overtime. But that isn’t the moment that lives rent-free in Knight's head. What does is the game-winning goal from Megan Keller.
"She's going up against the defenseman. I'm going, 'Oh, I don't know.' And then she's getting by the defenseman,” Knight said. “You’re like, 'yeah!' Then it finds the back of the net and it's just pure excitement, pure joy, pure magic.”
These winter games also marked Knight's second gold medal win and the end of her Olympic career. She's going out on a high note: her 15 goals and 33 points scored in Olympic competition are the most of any American hockey player.
Six of the Seattle Torrent players went to the Olympics. Knight represented Team U.S.A. with forwards Alex Carpenter and Hannah Bilka and defender Cayla Barnes. Torrent forward Julia Gosling represented team Canada in the Olympics and won a silver medal. Torrent defender Aneta Tejralová played for Czechia, also known as the Czech Republic.
Knight said the aftermath of the games demonstrated the value of women’s sports.
“It’s a great teaching point to really shine light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats,” she said.
The news conference marked the players return to U.S. soil ahead of the Torrent’s start of the second half of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which kicks off Friday night against the Toronto Sceptres at Climate Pledge Arena. The puck drops at 7 p.m.
Seattle soccer legend Megan Rapinoe attended the celebration to give props to the gold medalists, telling the players that she became emotional while she and her wife, Seattle Storm superstar Sue Bird, watched the match. Rapinoe called the win a “storybook” moment.
“This doesn’t happen — where the person who deserves it the most gets that kind of moment. You’ve had your ups and downs and all of the things,” Rapinoe said. “But you get to have this incredible moment for a sport in a country that you’ve given so much to.”
There are more celebrations ahead.
Seattle Torrent forward Alex Carpenter said Flavor Flav is “probably my most-texted person right now” and that the team will take advantage of his Las Vegas offer once their season ends. She said it was special to have someone step up like he did, especially after “everything that’s been going around online.”
Asked if Carpenter could share any of Flav’s plans, she said, “We’re just going to let him take the reins on this, and we’re just going to have a good time.”
