Ex-NHL star fires back at Team USA men's hockey critics: 'It's a real shame'

2 weeks ago 17

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Former NHL prima Jeremy Roenick condemned those who person chosen not to observe Team USA men’s hockey’s golden medal triumph astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Roenick appeared connected "Jesse Watters Primetime" connected Monday and talked astir what it meant to USA Hockey to triumph the golden medal, particularly implicit Canada but lamented disapproval aimed astatine the team.

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The United States celebrates aft winning the men's crystal hockey golden medal crippled during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026. (James Lang/Imagn Images)

"Shame connected everybody for not celebrating this," Roenick said. "Sports is not expected to beryllium political. It’s expected to unite the country. We’re each expected to get unneurotic and judge successful 1 thing. I deliberation 99% of Americans connected societal media was loving it. And past you crook astir and spot the politicization of the athletics and it’s conscionable not right. They hypocrites are coming retired successful droves and it’s unfortunate we can’t instrumentality the top moments successful sports and each observe it. It’s a existent shame."

The bulk of the disapproval aimed astatine Team USA came aft players spoke with President Donald Trump implicit the telephone successful the locker room. The president invited the squad to his State of the Union code and respective players expressed excitement for the opportunity.

San Jose Sharks halfway Jeremy Roenick (27) talks to the fans aft the crippled against the Phoenix Coyotes astatine HP Pavilion successful San Jose, California, connected April 9, 2009. (Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports)

First, connected Monday, the squad flew from Italy backmost to the U.S. Then, the squad went connected a autobus and drove astir South Beach, Miami, earlier having meal astatine an upscale restaurant. The players past partied astatine E11EVEN.

"There’s going to beryllium a batch of droopy eyes," Roenick added. "There’s gonna beryllium a batch of hairsbreadth each messed up but I’m telling you, they’re gonna correspond the U.S. precisely similar they did implicit determination successful Italy. They’re gonna amusement up with pride. They’re gonna enactment their thumbs up to the president, who is doing an astonishing job.