This time it was Hilary Knight’s turn to provide a big laugh — with an assist from the “Saturday Night Live” writers — in the wake of a weeklong dust-up involving the United States women and men’s Olympic gold medal-winning hockey teams.
Knight, the U.S. women’s captain, along with teammate Megan Keller and men’s team brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes, made a surprise appearance during “Heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie’s opening monologue on “SNL” on Saturday night.
With the Hughes brothers already on stage alongside Storrie, Knight and Keller joined them to a loud and lengthy ovation. The four players wore USA jerseys with their gold medals draped from their necks.
Knight opened by saying: “It was going to be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys, too.”
The remark was a clear reference to a controversy that arose when the men received a congratulatory call from President Donald Trump following their 2-1 overtime win against Canada on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Games.
Addressing the team over a speakerphone, Trump invited the men to his State of the Union speech, before adding he’d have to also invite the women, too. The president later said if he didn’t invite the women, he’d risk being impeached, which led to the players laughing at a comment many saw as sexist.
Knight on Wednesday referred to the joke as being “distasteful and unfortunate.”
Many of the men, meantime, said they laughed while being caught up in the celebration. Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman acknowledged they “should have reacted differently” to Trump’s remarks.
The U.S. women, who also beat Canada 2-1 in overtime three days earlier, politely declined Trump's invitation due to travel plans. The players traveled commercially and returned to North America late Monday evening, well after the men, who traveled on a charter flight paid for by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association.
Jack Hughes scored the overtime goal for the men.
Keller scored the overtime goal for the women, with Knight tying the game in the final minutes of regulation.
Knight plays for the PWHL's Seattle Torrent, and made the trip to New York City a day after being placed on long-term injured reserve. Keller, who plays for Boston, scrambled to New York hours after playing in the Fleet’s 3-2 shootout win at Ottawa earlier in the day.
Jack Hughes plays for the NHL New Jersey Devils, and Quinn for the Minnesota Wild.
Knight delivered another punchline after Quinn Hughes said the last time the men won gold was 46 years ago at the 1980 Lake Placid Games.
Knight followed by saying the women last won in 2018.
Laughing, Jack Hughes responded by saying, “nice burn,” before turning to Storrie and saying: “These gold medals aren’t just for us, they’re for all hockey fans, yours’ too.”
When Storrie asked if he could try on one of the medals, all four players turned and said, “No.”
“Heated Rivalry” has quickly become a hit following its first season on HBO Max. Adapted from Rachel Reid’s novel published in 2019, it features a plot revolving around a gay hockey romance in which two players from opposing teams carry out a secret, long-term relationship.
AP Olympic coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
New Jersey Devils' Jack Hughes (86) speaks to fans before an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
United States' Kendall Coyne, left, and United States' Hilary Knight celebrate after victory ceremony for women's ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)
The economy, inflation and how those forces could impact the lives of Americans were front and center over the past week. Trips to the grocery store or gas station are more painful than they were last year, and that is impacting the decisions of both households and businesses.
Here’s a snapshot of prominent economic data and news that occurred over the past week and what it potentially means for you.
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level in nearly nine months, driving up borrowing costs for homebuyers during what’s traditionally the housing market’s busiest time of the year.
The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.51% from 6.36% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. Despite the sharp increase, the average rate remains below 6.86%, where it was a year ago.
Rates have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has roiled energy markets, sending crude oil prices sharply higher — a key driver of inflation.
Expectations of higher oil prices and worries about big and growing debts for the U.S. government and others have pushed up long-term bond yields, causing mortgage rates to head higher.
U.S. retailers have spent months navigating an uncertain economic environment, from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to the impact of soaring gasoline prices due to the Iran war. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose again this week, ending at about $4.55 per gallon on Friday, according to AAA. Gasoline prices are about 45% above where they were at this time last year.
Based on quarterly financial reports from Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s and TJX, shoppers are cautious but still spending, helped by more generous tax refunds. Yet there is a widespread belief among economists that once those refunds dry up, shoppers will pull back on spending. Consumer spending is the dominant economic engine for the U.S., and retreat would have broad implications for the U.S.
Walmart issued a forecast for the current quarter on Thursday that was weaker than what Wall Street had been expecting. Target raised its annual revenue outlook on Wednesday, saying it expected momentum to continue the rest of the year. Yet the upgraded sales expectations were still below the pace of the first quarter.
Fewer Americans filed for jobless aid last week as layoffs remain low despite a number of uncertainties that continue to cloud the economy.
U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 16 fell by 3,000 to 209,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 213,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet had forecast.
Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.
Despite historically low layoffs, the labor market appears to be stuck in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That’s kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.
The split between Wall Street and most U.S. households grew even wider Friday, as U.S. stocks rose toward the finish of an eighth straight winning week, their longest such streak since 2023. That’s even though a survey showed on the same day that U.S. consumers are feeling worse about the economy.
Shares of Workday and Zoom Communications rose after both delivered better profit reports for the latest quarter than analysts expected.
They’re the latest companies to top analysts’ expectations for profits for the start of 2026. And the cavalcade of such reports has helped U.S. stocks remain near their records. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term.
A hiring sign is displayed at a restaurant in Niles, Ill., Thursday, May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Drones operated by Zipline leave base to make deliveries from a Walmart store in Pea Ridge, Ark., Friday, Sept. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Options trader Anthony Spina works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Trader Robert Arciero works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
