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“It’s such a special moment and an incredible accomplishment, and anything that detracts from that, for me, is unnecessary.”
Fleet coach Kris Sparre said “we’re doing ourselves a disservice and distracting with other things that are outside of hockey” by focusing on President Trump’s slight of the US women’s hockey team. Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
February 26, 2026 | 2:17 PM
2 minutes to read
WELLESLEY — The Boston Fleet aren’t interested in outside distractions, including the recent slight of the gold medal-winning US women’s hockey team by President Trump.
Three Fleet players — Megan Keller, Haley Winn, and Aerin Frankel — were part of the team that won gold in Milan on Keller’s overtime goal against Canada.
A few days later, after the US men’s team also beat Canada in overtime to win gold, Trump called the the men’s locker room to congratulate the players and seemed to make Team USA’s women the butt of a joke.
Talking on a speakerphone, Trump extended an invitation to the White House to the men’s team, then added, “We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that?” The president later joked that if he didn’t extend an invitation to the women, he would probably be impeached.
“The phone call was what it was, and I wish it was handled better, but when you talk to our players, the people who were there, I think the biggest thing for them is how special this moment was,” said Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer.
“It’s such a special moment and an incredible accomplishment, and anything that detracts from that, for me, is unnecessary. The focus should really be about these players who won the gold medal.”
Fleet coach Kris Sparre has not addressed the moment with his players and does not plan to.
“There’s so much excitement around our group, so much excitement around these players,” he said. “For me, I think we’re doing ourselves a disservice and distracting with other things that are outside of hockey.”
Members of the US men’s team were in attendance for Trump’s State of the Union address on Tuesday night, and the president said during his address the women’s team would “soon” visit the White House.
A spokesperson for the women’s team previously said in a statement to the Globe that Team USA declined an invitation from the Trump administration to visit the White House, citing prior obligations.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” the statement read. “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
The Fleet will continue their Olympic celebration on Monday with a fan event at the View Boston observation deck at the Prudential Center, which the team announced Thursday had sold out.
They will return to the ice Saturday in Ottawa to kick off a five-game road trip, before returning to Agganis Arena March 17 to face Toronto at 7 p.m.
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