Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and teammate Jake Sanderson addressed a presidential phone call and a viral fake video in their first media appearance since the US men's hockey team won Olympic gold. Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy also apologized for the team's response to Trump's comments about the women's team. The players emphasized respect for the women's gold medalists amid public backlash.
The US men's hockey team secured its first Olympic gold medal in men's ice hockey since 1980 by defeating Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. Following the victory, President Donald Trump called the team to congratulate them, joking that he would need to invite the US women's hockey team to the White House as well to avoid impeachment. The women, who also won gold in overtime against Canada, declined the invitation due to scheduling issues. US women's captain Hilary Knight described Trump's remarks as “distasteful and unfortunate.”
In a video from the call, several players, including Tkachuk, laughed at the comment, drawing criticism on social media. Speaking in Ottawa on February 26, 2026, ahead of the Senators' game against the Detroit Red Wings, Tkachuk explained the reaction as a “whirlwind of a moment” that caught him off guard. “Honestly, it was just a whirlwind of a moment that (you) can’t really control what somebody says,” Tkachuk said.
Teammate Sanderson called the laughter a “mistake” but said it was “blown out of proportion.” He highlighted the teams' mutual support during the Olympics, noting they spent time together in the athletes' village and attended each other's games. “We have nothing but the utmost respect for the women,” Sanderson added.
Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy echoed these sentiments in a locker room interview, apologizing for the response. “Yeah I think, you know, just certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment,” McAvoy said. “It's certainly not reflective of how we feel and look at them and their accomplishments.” His teammate Jeremy Swayman agreed, stating the team “should have reacted differently.”
Tkachuk also addressed an AI-generated TikTok video shared by the White House account, which falsely depicted him using a slur against Canadians during last year's 4 Nations Face-Off. The video, viewed over 11 million times, featured Olympic highlights to the tune of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” “Well, it’s clearly fake,” Tkachuk said. “Because it’s not my voice, not my lips moving. … I would never say that. That’s not who I am.” He denied another false claim of yelling “close the Northern border” during the Trump call.
The players visited the White House and attended the State of the Union address, where they were celebrated. Senators coach Travis Green described the celebrations as non-political, focused on the achievement. Teammate Drake Batherson expressed jealousy but supported the festivities as typical championship celebrations.
Tkachuk reflected on the White House visit as “a dream come true,” especially being in the Oval Office. He acknowledged mixed feelings from Ottawa fans, calling himself “public enemy No. 1” after the win over Canada.
