Saturday Night Live brought out the Hughes brothers — Quinn and Luke — from the USA Men's Hockey Team and Hilary Knight and Megan Keller from the USA Women's Hockey Team amid the controversy.
Heated Rivarly star — Connor Storrie — made his debut with a splash as Knight, Keller, Quinn and Luke made a surprise appearance during his open monologue.
“It was going to be just us, but we thought we'd invite the guys too,” Storrie said as the Hughes brothers were on stage beside him, wearing their USA jerseys and gold medals. Knight and Keller joined Storrie and the Hughes brothers on stage in the same attire. The women's hockey team got a roaring standing ovation from the crowd as they made their way alongside the actor and fellow athletes.
Why was there controversy between the women's and men's hockey teams?
The SNL writers took the perfect opportunity to let the women's team team have a laugh following the controversy of the call President Donald Trump gave the men's hockey team. Following the men's team 2-1 overtime win against Canada, Trump called them to congratulate them.
Trump invited the men's team to his State of the Union speech over the via speakerphone adding that he had to invite the women too or he would risk being impeached. The players laughed at the statement which did not go over well with the women's team nor online on social media.
On an appearance on SportsCenter last week, Knight said that the joke was “distasteful and unfortunate.”
“I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
The women's team declined Trump's invitation, and some members of the men's team attended the State of the Union.
Despite the controversy, Knight shared that the two teams respect one another and they have been cheering each other on during the Winter Olympics.
“I think there's a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said. “I think that's being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it's a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
