Why Kelly Pannek thinks Donald Trump’s joke about USA women’s hockey team ‘not surprising’

Kelly Pannek reflects on USA women’s hockey support

According to Daily Faceoff, Kelly Pannek said: “I think that’s something we all know, being there, what it felt like to have their support throughout the tournament. To support them, and how great a moment it was for everyone that was a fan of both teams to come together and say how great it was…

“It really was such a special feeling being there, even being able to spend the time with them after their win and the respect that they were showing us.”

Pannek’s focus was firmly on unity between the men’s and women’s squads, both of whom captured gold at the Winter Olympics.

Rather than dwell solely on the political backdrop, she emphasised the mutual respect shared between the teams throughout the tournament.

Kelly Pannek says the Donald Trump joke was not surprising

In further comments shared by Yahoo Sports, Kelly Pannek addressed the broader reaction: “I think the video is what it is. There’s also elements to it, with the phone call, specifically… It’s not surprising, to be frank.”

“So, I don’t know why we expect differently? But I think for us it’s also just about getting back to the focus on our team and what our team accomplished … dominant hockey,” Pannek concluded.

Her response suggests a level of realism about the public discourse surrounding women’s sport. While acknowledging the tone of the moment, she reframed the narrative around performance and achievement rather than controversy.

For Pannek, the emphasis remains on what the team accomplished on the ice. In her view, outside noise should not diminish what she described as dominant hockey on the world stage.