'It's the greatest country in the world': USA hockey's Quinn Hughes praises America after epic win



American fans have been waiting for an athlete to come out in full support of the red, white, and blue during the Olympics.

After a string of athletes have denigrated U.S. law enforcement, criticized the current administration, and even switched teams to compete for China, viewers have been looking for a hero to celebrate at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

'Happy to represent it here with these guys.'

Enter Quinn Hughes, a 26-year-old Florida native who plays for the NHL's Minnesota Wild. Hughes scored an overtime goal to beat Sweden 2-1 on Wednesday, advancing Team USA to the semifinals.

After the game, NBC News sports editor Greg Rosenstein posted an interview with Hughes following his heroic performance. In the video, a reporter asks Hughes about the mass of American flags in the audience during the game and how it felt hearing the crowd chant "U-S-A!"

"What's that atmosphere like?" the journalist asked.

"It's special," Hughes replied. "I love the U.S., and it's the greatest country in the world. So [I'm] happy to represent it here with these guys."

The defenseman added, "It's really special."

RELATED: NBC apologizes for calling female skier 'she'

The Olympics has been, unfortunately, shrouded in vitriolic political statements, which have included American figure skater Amber Glenn saying her "human rights" were at risk because of President Trump.

Half-American, half-British athlete Gus Kenworthy brazenly posted a photo in early February in which it appeared he had urinated in snow to spell out "F**k ICE," referring to immigration enforcement officers.

Politics even hit Olympic venues when a boutique hotel in Milan, set to host American athletes, changed its name from Ice House to Winter House. The name was allegedly changed to ensure that it remained "a private space free of distractions."

RELATED: Skier Hunter Hess changes tune after saying he has 'mixed emotions' about representing USA: 'I love my country'

Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images

Hughes' goal came on the eve of the USA women's hockey team winning an overtime game of their own. On Thursday, the ladies beat Canada 2-1 in what could end up being the first of two Canada vs. USA finals.

The American men play Slovakia on Friday at 3:10 p.m. ET. If they beat the Slovaks and Canada beats Finland (also on Friday), the USA and Canada would meet for a gold medal showdown, which airs Sunday, February 22, at 8:10 a.m. ET.

Canada's last gold in men's ice hockey was in 2014, the country's third in four Olympics. Two of those wins came over the United States.

The U.S. has not won gold since the notable 1980 "Miracle" team in Lake Placid.

The United States has the third-most gold medals in men's hockey, tied with Sweden with two. The Soviet Union/Russia and Canada both have nine.

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'Overrated LIGHTWEIGHT': Trump roasts famous TDS-ridden TV host in Valentine's Day morning message



As Americans across the country prepared to celebrate Valentine’s Day, President Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday morning with a lengthy post—but it wasn't the kind of 'Valentine' many were expecting. Instead of a standard holiday greeting,

Trump unloaded a massive Saturday morning broadside against one of his most loyal and persistent detractors: TV host and comedian Bill Maher.

'Bill Maher is a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT, and Republicans should stop using him to show how the Left is coming over our way.'

"Sometimes in life you waste time! T.V. Host Bill Maher asked to have dinner with me through one of his friends, also a friend of mine, and I agreed," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "He came into the famed Oval Office much different than I thought he would be. He was extremely nervous, had ZERO confidence in himself and, to soothe his nerves, immediately, within seconds, asked for a 'Vodka Tonic.' He said to me, 'I’ve never felt like this before, I’m actually scared.' In one respect, it was somewhat endearing!"

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Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

Trump was referring to Bill Maher's April 2025 dinner at the White House, which was supposedly coordinated by their mutual friend, Kid Rock.

Trump went on to remark that for some time after the dinner, Maher "seemed to be a nice guy."

He then pivoted to a long list of his accomplishments during the first year of his second term in office, including the "PERFECT Border, Lowest Crime in 125 years, the Mass Removal of Stone Cold Criminals...Venezuela...the Rebuilding of our Military, Eight War Stoppages, and on, and on, and on!"

Trump also criticized Bill Maher for taking too seriously a joke he made earlier in the week on Truth Social involving Cananda, China, and ice hockey.

Trump jokingly warned that a deal between Canada and China would be disastrous for the sport: "The first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup."

Maher supposedly said it was a "foolish" thing to say, according to Trump's post.

Trump continued: "Fortunately, his Television Ratings are so low that nobody will learn about his various Fake News statements about me. He is no different than Kimmel, Fallon, or Colbert but, I must admit, slightly more talented! Anyway, Bill Maher is a highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT, and Republicans should stop using him to show how the Left is coming over our way — Our Base, the Greatest of All Time, laughs at your weakness when you do it!"

"I’d much rather spend my time MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN than wasting it on him. Bill continues to suffer from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS!), and there is nothing that will ever be done to cure him of this very serious disease. Thank you for your attention to this minor matter!" Trump concluded, slightly modifying his usual closing statement for the occasion.

While it is unclear what prompted trump's message or its timing, Bill Maher's Friday night monologue took aim at the Trump administration, particularly its handling of the Epstein files. Maher joked that Monday, President's Day, is "when we pay tribute to all our presidents, even those in the Epstein files."

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Team USA women's hockey hands Canada its worst loss in Olympics history



The Canadians were beat every step of the way as Team USA delivered a historic beatdown on Tuesday.

A goal in each period saw the United States women's hockey team not only triumph over Canada, but it is one the neighbors to the north may never forget.

'Oh, you think you've done something, that's when the mountain eats you up.'

The 5-0 trounce included two goals from 24-year-old Texan Hannah Bilka and marked the first time ever Team Canada has failed to score a goal in a women's Olympic hockey game.

To add insult to injury, it was also the largest margin of defeat Canada has ever suffered at the hands of Team USA in both men and women's Olympic hockey.

"It's pretty special," said 21-year-old American Kirsten Simms, per NBC. "This group has been unbelievable from the start of the tournament, and I think we displayed that going against our known rivals. It's just good momentum for us going into the playoff rounds."

Simms scored just over a minute into the second period.

RELATED: Skier Hunter Hess changes tune after saying he has 'mixed emotions' about representing USA: 'I love my country'

"We're playing a good brand of hockey, and we're just sticking to it," added Ohio native Laila Edwards, who scored in the third. "We're sticking to the principles, and that benefits us. We've got a great group that just gels really well together."

Coach John Wroblewski reminded his team not to get ahead of themselves, despite their record-setting victory. According to ESPN, the coach asked his team, "What's the hardest part of climbing the mountain?"

Wroblewski provided the answer himself:

"Getting home," he said. "If you ever feel good about climbing Mount Everest, it's the way down. Oh, you think you've done something, that's when the mountain eats you up."

RELATED: Olympic skier who wrote 'F**k ICE' in snow now says he is victim of 'hate and vitriol'

Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Team USA will play Italy in the quarterfinals on Friday, February 13, at 3:10 p.m. ET, in what should be an easy win. Italy has over-performed by some accounts, beating France and Japan, both of whom are ranked higher internationally. However, a loss to Germany and a pounding from Sweden have brought them back down to earth, and they likely will not be a problem for the Americans.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan called Team USA a deep and dynamic team with an "extremely balanced attack."

With the Americans rolling all four offensive lines, the hockey insider wrote that the team's mix of fresher faces may be what is giving them an edge. Kaplan noted that Canada has 16 players returning from their 2022 Olympic team.

The two teams could still meet again, but it may have to wait until the finals as Canada's quarterfinal opponent is yet to be determined, and the bracket is not yet fleshed out; Canada still has to play Finland on Thursday.

If Team USA beats Italy, they would move on to the semifinals on February 16, with the bronze and gold medal games airing on February 19.

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Wisconsin star scores likely the best women's hockey goal of all time before scoring OT winner to secure NCAA championship



Kirsten Simms delivered what could be the greatest women's hockey goal ever scored before winning Wisconsin its eighth national title in overtime.

The Wisconsin Badgers faced the Ohio State Buckeyes for the third-straight year in the Division I NCAA finals for women's ice hockey on Sunday. Ohio has appeared in the last four championship games, winning in 2022 and 2024 but losing to Wisconsin in 2023.

In the third period, Wisconsin was down 3-2 when one of their star forwards, Kirsten Simms, took a penalty shot with just 18.9 seconds remaining.

The right-handed skater slowly approached the puck before she dangled Ohio State's goalie out of position and scored what must be one of the best women's hockey goals of all time, if not the best.

Simms was not finished there.

Just 2:49 into overtime, Wisconsin's Lacey Eden fired a shot from the right wing that was stopped but bounced directly into Simms' path on the left side, where she slid a shot through a defenseman's legs for the championship goal. The crowd erupted as the team celebrated and threw their equipment into their air over the 4-3 victory.

'It hasn't sunk in yet, it doesn't feel real.'

Simms finished the game with two goals and an assist, while Eden had two assists of her own.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, it doesn't feel real," Simms told ESPN reporter Blake Bolden. "This team went to bat all game, we fought through a ton of adversity and to come out on top is just exactly what we wanted."

"I was so nervous," Simms said about the penalty shot. "Couldn't think while I was going, just had to try to be confident with it, but it worked out."

Wisconsin Badgers forward Kirsten Simms after winning the NCAA title. Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Simms remarked on the tough battle her team went through and how pleased she was that Wisconsin managed to stick together in crunch time.

"I couldn't be happy enough for us," she added.

Simms was 10th in league scoring with 25 goals in 41 games. Wisconsin's Casey O'Brien scored 26 this season, while teammate Laila Edwards scored a league-leading 35 goals.

Simms had an even more impressive season in her 2023-2024 campaign, when she scored 33 goals and 42 assists in just 39 games.

She is a First-Team All-American, WCHA Player of the Year, WCHA Forward of the Year, and made the 2023 NCAA All-Tournament Team.

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Team USA junior hockey players capture hearts with patriotic singing of national anthem after winning world championship



Team USA junior ice hockey players captured hearts and sent a little pride back to America with their emotional, patriotic singing of the national anthem after winning the world championship Friday in Europe.

Check out the smiling youngsters belting out "The Star-Spangled Banner" after beating host Sweden 6-2:

— (@)

As you can see, nobody was taking a knee.

The players' verve caught the attention of more than a few prominent folks who praised their unashamed patriotism — in stark contrast to other American athletes who made headlines by disrespecting the anthem:

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“Att’n USA women’s soccer — this is what is expected of you if you agree to wear America’s jersey,” Megyn Kelly wrote on X. “Otherwise LET SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. These boys show how it’s done. Listen up. God bless them and God bless America!”

Riley Gaines sent a direct message to outspoken women's soccer icon Megan Rapinoe, who gained attention years ago for kneeling during the anthem and then made a name for herself by espousing left-wing social views.

— (@)

Republican Governor of Texas Greg Abbott wore his pride on his sleeve:

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Sports media personality Sage Steele called out her former employer ESPN, saying the American sports network completely ignored Team USA's "special moment" — unlike Canada's TSN Sports, which aired the stirring video:

— (@)

Former women's soccer star Carli Lloyd loved what she saw:

— (@)

After the U.S. women's soccer team in August made their earliest-ever exit from the World Cup — which pleased quite a few observers due to the wokeness associated with the team — Rapinoe took comfort in her squad's social activism that she said "changed the world forever."

A month later Rapinoe said said she's prouder "by a mile" of her "gay rights," "trans rights," and "racial justice" activism off the field than of her on-field accomplishments.

For her part, Lloyd criticized the women's team for celebrating after a 0-0 World Cup draw against Portugal, and former U.S. Men's National Team star Alexi Lalas called the women's team "unlikeable" after their elimination from the World Cup.

Anything else?

OutKick said Team USA's junior hockey players came into the world championship tournament in Gothenburg as the favorites to win the gold medal and went undefeated.

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NHL reverses ban on rainbow Pride stick tape; LGBTQ group calls it 'a win for us all'



The National Hockey League has reversed its recent ban on rainbow Pride stick tape.

What are the details?

The NHL, players’ union, and an inclusion committee agreed Tuesday to give players the option to represent social causes with stick tape during warm-ups, practices, and games, the Associated Press reported.

More from the AP:

Pride nights became a hot-button issue in hockey after six players chose not to participate in pregame warmups last season when their team wore rainbow-themed jerseys. Teams this season are not allowed to wear any kind of theme jerseys, including military appreciation and Hockey Fights Cancer, for warmups.

The tape ban drew criticism from players around the league, longtime executive Brian Burke and others. Philadelphia’s Scott Laughton told reporters he’d probably use it anyway, and Arizona’s Travis Dermott defied the ban over the weekend by putting rainbow-colored tape on his stick for a game.

The NHL Players’ Association said it was “pleased to see the league’s policy has been revised so that players are free to support causes they believe in," the outlet added.

The makers of Pride Tape said on social media regarding the reversal, “We are so very grateful to everyone who believes hockey should be a safe, inclusive and welcoming space for all. We are extremely happy that NHL players will now have the option to voluntarily represent important social causes with their stick tape throughout season," the AP also reported.

The You Can Play Project — which advocates for LGBTQ+ participation in sports and has partnered with the NHL for a decade — called the reversal “a win for us all," the outlet noted.

“Actively welcoming communities into hockey is imperative to keep the sport strong now and into the future,” You Can Play said in a statement, according to the AP. “We appreciate every person, team and organization that made their voice heard to support this change and appreciate the NHL’s willingness to listen and make the right choice.”

Anything else?

Last season, then-Philadelphia Flyers player Ivan Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox faith when he refused to skate before a Pride Night game since his teammates were wearing LBGTQ colors.

Readers of Blaze News may recall that a number of sports journalists were upset by Provorov's stance, including E.J. Hradek — senior reporter for the NHL Network — who suggested Provorov could "go back" to Russia and "maybe get involved" in the war against Ukraine if he didn't want to wear rainbow colors.

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Hockey player punches referee in face after penalty, knocks official to ice — a punch which knocks player out of league for good



An ice hockey player from the U.S. Premier Hockey League was caught on video punching a referee in the face during a game Sunday and is now facing a lifetime ban from the league, Fox News reported.

What are the details?

The cable network said that during the first period of a game between the South Shore Kings and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, an official called a penalty against Paul Halloran of the Kings.

The official and Halloran — who wears number 19 jersey— appeared to get tangled up against the rink wall, and the player appeared to push off the official, after which the official penalized him.

Video then shows Halloran skating off the ice and then turning toward that same official and punching him in the the face. Immediately after the punch it appeared the player knocked or pushed the official down to the ice.

The official quickly got up and appeared to be OK, Fox News said.

Safe to say, I don\u2019t think he liked what the ref said to him pic.twitter.com/zJUe61SMUT
— Justin (McLovin) (@Justin (McLovin)) 1645381730

USPHL Commissioner Bob Turow issued the following statement: "The action taken today by a USPHL player is completely unacceptable in the USPHL. The USPHL has zero tolerance for any player striking any official, at any time. The player in question's actions have led to a lifetime ban. The incident is currently being investigated by local authorities and as such the USPHL will have no further comments at this time.”

The Kings are part of the league's New England Division. Halloran, 20, plays left wing and is tied for second on the team with 15 goals.

What was the reaction?

Reaction to the punch seemed mixed, with some blaming the player and others blaming the referee.

One Twitter commenter noted that "the ref 'getting in the way' doesn't justify a punch. This happens in football, basketball, any sport, the ref can get in the way or say something one doesn't like. That doesn't mean you get to physically assault them."

But another commenter observed that "the ref was obviously looking for a fight and should also be suspended. Not defending the kid, but the referee escalated a situation where he should just have said 'sorry, I got in the way' and moved on. Instead he started showing aggression and reaped what he sowed. No sympathy."

Biden Is Down For A Stanley Cup Wager With Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

'You’re on pal' #GoBolts'