Boston Bruins
“Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment.”
Charlie McAvoy and Team USA took home gold on Sunday with an OT win over Canada. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
February 26, 2026 | 1:35 PM
4 minutes to read
Less than a week after playing a key role in Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980, Charlie McAvoy will look to get back on the ice for the Bruins in a pivotal matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
McAvoy — who logged the second-most ice time on Team USA behind Quinn Hughes during the 2026 Milano-Cortina games — will be a game-decision for Thursday’s matchup against Columbus, who sit four points behind Boston in the logjammed Eastern Conference standings.
“Just such an emotional roller coaster to go through, to have such a lifelong dream accomplished, and then to kind of have to turn the page, what feels pretty quick,” McAvoy said. “It’s a lot of travel in a short amount of time. So just to finally get home. It feels like we’re right back at it.”
The 28-year-old defenseman touched on numerous subjects during his meeting with the Boston media on Thursday at TD Garden — including the discourse over Team USA’s reaction to a joke from President Donald Trump that was directed at the US women’s hockey team.
After the US men’s team defeated Canada 2-1 in overtime on Sunday to clinch Olympic gold, the players received a congratulatory phone call from Trump — who invited the team to the White House and the State of the Union address on Tuesday.
As part of that invitation, video captured within the Team USA locker room showed Trump disparaging the US women’s team — who also won their third gold medal last week with an overtime victory over Canada.
“I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” Trump said, adding that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t invite the women’s team. Several of the men’s team players laughed at Trump’s comment.
McAvoy apologized for the reaction from Team USA to Trump’s joke — which US women’s hockey captain Hilary Knight labeled as “distasteful” on Wednesday.
“Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment,” McAvoy said. “Things just happened really quick there. If you know the men’s team and the relationships we have and the time we spent with the women’s team — it’s certainly not reflective of how we feel and look at them and their accomplishment. What they did was unbelievable.”
Charlie McAvoy on Team USA’s reaction to Trump’s joke about the US women’s team:
“Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment. Things just happened really quick there. … It’s certainly not reflective of how we feel and look at them and their accomplishments.” pic.twitter.com/6pfgPVxrNo
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 26, 2026
The US women’s team dominated the Olympic field in Milan, outscoring opponents, 33-2, and posting five shutout victories as part of their 7-0 record during the international tournament.
While a majority of the US men’s team — including McAvoy and Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman — visited Trump at the White House and attended the State of the Union address at the US Capitol, the US women’s team declined Trump’s invitation.
“We are sincerely grateful for the invitation extended to our gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s Hockey Team and deeply appreciate the recognition of their extraordinary achievement,” Team USA said in a statement, per The Athletic. “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.”
Trump claimed during his speech on Tuesday that the U.S. women’s team would be visiting with him “soon”, although no formal plans have been announced as of Thursday afternoon.
On Wednesday, Swayman also acknowledged that Team USA should have reacted differently to Trump’s remark.
“We should have reacted differently. We know that,” Swayman said. “We are so excited for the women’s team. We have so much respect for the women’s team, and to share that gold medal with them is something that we’re forever grateful for. And now that we’re home, we get to share that together forever and see the incredible support that we have from the USA and sharing this incredible gold medal.”
McAvoy added Thursday that both the men’s and women’s teams shared a strong bond during the Winter Games — one that made their pair of gold-medal triumphs even more special.
“We had this third floor there in the [Olympic] Village and it was kind of some of the women’s team there, the trainer’s room where everybody was at all times. So, the men’s and women’s team just made friends for life with them,” McAvoy said. “We supported them the same way that they supported us, so we share this together.
“I know that and I know that I’m pretty confident they know how I feel about them and what they’ve been able to accomplish and the way that they did it, too, with how dominant they played. I think America should be so proud of them for their accomplishment, for sure.”
Fellow Team USA defenseman Zach Werenski — who will play against McAvoy and the Bruins as Columbus’ go-to blueliner — also offered up an apology toward the US women’s team on Thursday after morning skate.
“Obviously, it’s not a great moment,” Werenski said Thursday. “It doesn’t look great, so I understand that. But, you know, I think deep down, they know how we feel about them and how much support we have for them.
“Just incredible people, incredible hockey players, and they’ve done so much for the game of hockey. …. There are going to be so many girls out there who play that want to be Megan Keller and Caroline Harvey. They’ve changed the sport of hockey and I couldn’t be more supportive of them. Like I said, obviously, it looks bad in the moment. Didn’t mean anything by that.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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