New Jersey Devils play-by-play announcer Don La Greca has vocally criticized the narrative that the U.S. men's hockey team and star Jack Hughes are 'sexist.' La Greca expressed frustration over social media interpretations of the team's actions following their gold medal win.
"He's a hockey player that scored a goal. And that's all he cares about. And he loves being American," La Greca stated on his ESPN New York radio show, emphasizing Hughes's focus on representing the United States.
La Greca addressed a caller's concern that the men's team's reaction to President Trump's invitation to the women's team was a "bad look." He argued that such interpretations are deliberately painted and that people are cherry-picking comments to provoke reactions.
"Jack's mom was involved in the women's game. Can we stop? Please stop!" La Greca pleaded, highlighting the team's existing support for women in sports. He lamented the immediate rush to create controversy, stating, "We can't have nice things."
Discussing Kash Patel's presence in the locker room, La Greca found it unfair to pigeonhole the team's political leanings. He also questioned the assumption that the men laughed at the idea of the women being invited to the State of the Union, suggesting other reasons for their reaction.
"We have no idea why they laughed," La Greca said. "Because somebody wanted to mold it as the men... that they all collectively don't want the women to be at the White House? Somebody molded it to be that way, so some suckers out there believe it."
Jack Hughes himself told reporters that his first thought after scoring the winning goal was of Megan Keller, who scored the golden goal for the U.S. women's team. Hughes's brother, Quinn, also spoke about the mutual support between the men's and women's teams during the Olympics.
The U.S. women's hockey team ultimately declined an invitation to Washington, D.C., citing scheduling conflicts. Several members of the men's team are expected to attend.