I agree 100%, Sean. This falls squarely at the feet of Bill Guerin. He never should have brought Patel into the locker room, and he should have been far more prepared for how to navigate the politics that were absolutely—100%—inevitable.
I didn’t like his roster construction to begin with, and I still don’t. This mess only reinforces that view and makes me trust his judgment even less.
That said, the players bear some responsibility too. They should have been better prepared for the political realities that were obviously coming with this situation.
And shame on the President and his team for being so openly dismissive of the women’s program. If you actually look at the results, the women are carrying a huge share of the load for Team USA.
Out of 12 gold medals won by Team USA at these Olympics, six were won by women, four by men, and two by mixed-gender team events. That reality makes the dismissiveness toward the women’s team not just insulting, but indefensible.
It feels like this got politicized, because everyone decided it got politicized. A total self-referential loop.
The president was always going to invite a Gold Medal winning team to the White House. The majority of players were always going to accept.
Choosing to NOT go is decidedly political, so if deciding to go is ALSO political, then I figure you may as well just go.
Graciously accept the President's invitation, if for no other reason than as a show of appreciation for *your* America - the parts you're proud of, the parts you want to represent, the parts that you fight for and believe in and vote for. You represented America. The President is the highest office in America. Whoever's in office, go.
Understood, and not trying to create an argument of that either. My point is that each American has *an* "America" they're part of, proud of, and want to see live on (or emerge). That's what you wear the jersey to represent. If anyone said, "There's absolutely nothing that I like about this country" then they probably never put on the jersey in the first place. Hope I'm explaining well.
Certainly not saying anyone has to be proud of the primary depiction, or current state, or complete history, or whatever.
I disagree- Sports are political, because they have always been used by governments to curry favor. The entire Miracle on Ice is unmistakably political, because of the Cold War. (Many of us would love for it to not be political, but when you can't even have a community pride night without controversy, I think we're a long way from that)
But make no mistake, Guerin and his open affiliation with Trump's administration had already lost my interest in the US Men's team. As it had with many women, queer people and people of color. Because it's hard to ignore what's happening in Minneapolis, and what Guerin himself has never commented on.
I also don't think we should use how insular hockey careers are as an excuse. Phones push constant stories about Trump. The cruelty, the anger, it's front page news everywhere. I know in your career you get access to talk to them, but they don't get a pass because life has shielded them from having to care.
Laughing about including the women's team is a choice, no matter what the circumstance. Nobody forced them to celebrate and pose with him, or to get excited about him calling the president and giggling at every word. Watching them try to use hockey media speak to talk their way out of this has been unintentionally hilarious, because that media training doesn't allow for actual introspection. They only see accolades, they are so sheltered by design they will not understand the cost until now, this has caused actual harm to their images.
And Guerin lives in MINNESOTA, where 2 murders took place in Minneapolis/St. Paul and citizens were terrorized for over a month by Trump’s goons! What the hell was he thinking !?
This article right here just earned you another paid subscription. This is truth. Thank you for being the only one I’ve seen say this.
The biggest memory regarding the 2026 men’s hockey gold is going to be how Trump manipulated it. The players are too naive to see it right now — but they will.
Very well put Sean, I applaude your article. It is indeed a shame that this win is no longer just about the team. Shame on the GM, he stole this moment from the team. I already lost respect because of Robo, regardless how it played out, but this puts it over the top.
thank you for discussing this, sean. it has been disappointing to see that, again, the majority of NHL journalists will ignore a problem until it goes away rather than approach it directly. part of the reason NHL players exist within a bubble is because outside voices do not burst it with real questions
This seems so historically ignorant. I’m sure Obama had no business being in the US men’s basketball locker room. Who cares? This has been done generation upon generation.
Ignorance and lack of empathy of the pain and suffering of others, and standing by quietly while Constitutional right like, Due Process, Habeas Corpus, Right to talk to an attorney, imprisonment without judicial review or oversight…
Is a weak ass excuse for any player or person who truly cares about this country. Thus it’s particularly hard to celebrate this group who have their heads in the sand.
Patels antics are well known to independent news outlets, but the MSM, for which most players are probably getting their info, don’t report as extensively what’s corrupt, incompetent prick he is.
To the more general question of player political maturation, what you say about their insularity is legit. But I can say for SE Michigan, where my son played gravel hockey, the economics of hockey sort of dictate that most of these players go home to pretty right leaning homes anyway. I’ve learned not to question people’s patriotism because we all have a right to it, but we also know how that flag is wielded in todays political environment, and I just came to expect that all my son’s teammates were of a singular disposition acquired from their parents. So, i. shirt, they have lots of reasons not to know what’s going on, but it probably looks fine to them anyway.
This is far from the first time that a sitting President has invited athletes to the White House and won’t be the last no matter who is in power. What’s strange is you seem to imply that the players don’t have the ability to choose for themselves. It’s not strange for a President to phone congratulations to a National team. Exactly how much access Patel had throughout the tournament I don’t know. Would the phone call come through a different official, perhaps. It used to be a great honor for teams to get such a phone call/invitation. It could be just that for the players. You and others are choosing to make this political or at the very least, make it further political. The players can take responsibility for their choices. You can take responsibility for yours. This can still be about hockey.
Well said. USA Hockey and its leadership team for this event blew it big-time by allowing themselves to be played by those who had deeply political motives in mind.
Angie, it became political the moment Kash Patel, an fbi director who has no business partying with the team, stepped into the locker room and the world found out about it. That’s not even going into the details of him being there on tax dollars or what Trump said on the phone call. Journalists writing about it aren’t making it political. It was political the moment he stepped into the room
I agree 100%, Sean. This falls squarely at the feet of Bill Guerin. He never should have brought Patel into the locker room, and he should have been far more prepared for how to navigate the politics that were absolutely—100%—inevitable.
I didn’t like his roster construction to begin with, and I still don’t. This mess only reinforces that view and makes me trust his judgment even less.
That said, the players bear some responsibility too. They should have been better prepared for the political realities that were obviously coming with this situation.
And shame on the President and his team for being so openly dismissive of the women’s program. If you actually look at the results, the women are carrying a huge share of the load for Team USA.
Out of 12 gold medals won by Team USA at these Olympics, six were won by women, four by men, and two by mixed-gender team events. That reality makes the dismissiveness toward the women’s team not just insulting, but indefensible.
Agree!
It feels like this got politicized, because everyone decided it got politicized. A total self-referential loop.
The president was always going to invite a Gold Medal winning team to the White House. The majority of players were always going to accept.
Choosing to NOT go is decidedly political, so if deciding to go is ALSO political, then I figure you may as well just go.
Graciously accept the President's invitation, if for no other reason than as a show of appreciation for *your* America - the parts you're proud of, the parts you want to represent, the parts that you fight for and believe in and vote for. You represented America. The President is the highest office in America. Whoever's in office, go.
If you’re “proud” of America right now, you’re living under a rock.
Understood, and not trying to create an argument of that either. My point is that each American has *an* "America" they're part of, proud of, and want to see live on (or emerge). That's what you wear the jersey to represent. If anyone said, "There's absolutely nothing that I like about this country" then they probably never put on the jersey in the first place. Hope I'm explaining well.
Certainly not saying anyone has to be proud of the primary depiction, or current state, or complete history, or whatever.
I disagree- Sports are political, because they have always been used by governments to curry favor. The entire Miracle on Ice is unmistakably political, because of the Cold War. (Many of us would love for it to not be political, but when you can't even have a community pride night without controversy, I think we're a long way from that)
But make no mistake, Guerin and his open affiliation with Trump's administration had already lost my interest in the US Men's team. As it had with many women, queer people and people of color. Because it's hard to ignore what's happening in Minneapolis, and what Guerin himself has never commented on.
I also don't think we should use how insular hockey careers are as an excuse. Phones push constant stories about Trump. The cruelty, the anger, it's front page news everywhere. I know in your career you get access to talk to them, but they don't get a pass because life has shielded them from having to care.
Laughing about including the women's team is a choice, no matter what the circumstance. Nobody forced them to celebrate and pose with him, or to get excited about him calling the president and giggling at every word. Watching them try to use hockey media speak to talk their way out of this has been unintentionally hilarious, because that media training doesn't allow for actual introspection. They only see accolades, they are so sheltered by design they will not understand the cost until now, this has caused actual harm to their images.
Yes it has. They’ll see the harm soon.
And Guerin lives in MINNESOTA, where 2 murders took place in Minneapolis/St. Paul and citizens were terrorized for over a month by Trump’s goons! What the hell was he thinking !?
This article right here just earned you another paid subscription. This is truth. Thank you for being the only one I’ve seen say this.
The biggest memory regarding the 2026 men’s hockey gold is going to be how Trump manipulated it. The players are too naive to see it right now — but they will.
Very well put Sean, I applaude your article. It is indeed a shame that this win is no longer just about the team. Shame on the GM, he stole this moment from the team. I already lost respect because of Robo, regardless how it played out, but this puts it over the top.
thank you for discussing this, sean. it has been disappointing to see that, again, the majority of NHL journalists will ignore a problem until it goes away rather than approach it directly. part of the reason NHL players exist within a bubble is because outside voices do not burst it with real questions
Just sick! Should not have happened but this so called president and band of rats tried to ruin it.
This seems so historically ignorant. I’m sure Obama had no business being in the US men’s basketball locker room. Who cares? This has been done generation upon generation.
Ignorance and lack of empathy of the pain and suffering of others, and standing by quietly while Constitutional right like, Due Process, Habeas Corpus, Right to talk to an attorney, imprisonment without judicial review or oversight…
Is a weak ass excuse for any player or person who truly cares about this country. Thus it’s particularly hard to celebrate this group who have their heads in the sand.
Patels antics are well known to independent news outlets, but the MSM, for which most players are probably getting their info, don’t report as extensively what’s corrupt, incompetent prick he is.
To the more general question of player political maturation, what you say about their insularity is legit. But I can say for SE Michigan, where my son played gravel hockey, the economics of hockey sort of dictate that most of these players go home to pretty right leaning homes anyway. I’ve learned not to question people’s patriotism because we all have a right to it, but we also know how that flag is wielded in todays political environment, and I just came to expect that all my son’s teammates were of a singular disposition acquired from their parents. So, i. shirt, they have lots of reasons not to know what’s going on, but it probably looks fine to them anyway.
This is far from the first time that a sitting President has invited athletes to the White House and won’t be the last no matter who is in power. What’s strange is you seem to imply that the players don’t have the ability to choose for themselves. It’s not strange for a President to phone congratulations to a National team. Exactly how much access Patel had throughout the tournament I don’t know. Would the phone call come through a different official, perhaps. It used to be a great honor for teams to get such a phone call/invitation. It could be just that for the players. You and others are choosing to make this political or at the very least, make it further political. The players can take responsibility for their choices. You can take responsibility for yours. This can still be about hockey.
Well said. USA Hockey and its leadership team for this event blew it big-time by allowing themselves to be played by those who had deeply political motives in mind.
❤️
Angie, it became political the moment Kash Patel, an fbi director who has no business partying with the team, stepped into the locker room and the world found out about it. That’s not even going into the details of him being there on tax dollars or what Trump said on the phone call. Journalists writing about it aren’t making it political. It was political the moment he stepped into the room