OTTAWA, Ontario — U.S. hockey captain Brady Tkachuk criticized the White House on Thursday for sharing a manipulated TikTok video that falsely portrayed him insulting Canadians following the United States’ Olympic gold medal win. Tkachuk called the video fabricated, emphasizing it was not his voice or message.
The altered clip included AI-generated audio depicting Tkachuk supposedly calling Canadians maple syrup-eating (expletive), with the offensive word censored. The video itself contained a disclaimer stating it contains AI-generated media.
Tkachuk Denounces Fabricated Video and Misattributed Remarks
Addressing the video’s authenticity, Tkachuk firmly stated,
“It’s clearly fake because it’s not my voice and not my lips moving.”
He added,
“I’m not in control of any of those accounts. … I know that those words would never come out of my mouth.”
When asked if he approved of the video, he responded,
“I would never say that. That’s not who I am.”
The White House had not offered any immediate comment on the matter.
In addition to the altered video, Tkachuk refuted claims that he was the one heard shouting close the northern border during a post-victory phone call with then-President Donald Trump. The call followed Team USA’s 2-1 overtime win against Canada for Olympic gold.
“I’ve been seeing stuff that people think it’s me, but if you watch the video, that’s not my voice and something that I never say,”
he said. Tkachuk expressed confusion over how the falsehood gained traction, noting,
“I don’t really know how that kind of took a storm on its own when I play here and give everything I have here.”
Background on Brady Tkachuk and Olympic Victories
Brady Tkachuk, 26, hails from Arizona and serves as captain of the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, having spent his entire playing career in Canada’s capital city. He and his U.S. teammates returned to North America this week after the Winter Olympics in Italy and have resumed their NHL season. Several players from the men’s team attended President Trump’s State of the Union address in Washington on Tuesday night, where they were warmly received.
The U.S. women’s hockey team also secured gold by defeating Canada 2-1 in overtime, marking the first occasion that the United States swept both Olympic hockey tournaments. The celebrations surrounding these historic wins, however, have been overshadowed by political tensions in the United States since the final whistle of the men’s game.
Tension Surrounding White House Invitations and Celebrations
During a postgame locker room speakerphone call, President Trump invited the men’s team to visit the White House and later added with a joke,
“We’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.”
He further quipped that failing to invite both teams might have led to his impeachment. Some players chuckled at the comment, with at least one expressing regret afterward. Tkachuk acknowledged how women players might have perceived the moment, saying,
“I mean, I get it. We supported them, they supported us. You can’t control what other people say.”
A portion of the men’s team traveled to Washington for the White House visit and attended the State of the Union address. Meanwhile, many women’s players had already begun returning to their professional or college teams and only learned late Sunday that they had also been invited, making travel adjustments challenging due to inclement weather along the U.S. East Coast.
President Trump stated his intention for the women’s team to visit the White House at a later date, with the earliest possibility being late spring after the conclusion of the new Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) season.
Planned Public Celebration and Players’ Reactions
Rapper Flavor Flav announced plans to host a celebration for the women’s hockey team in Las Vegas this July for those able to attend.
Hilary Knight, a prominent member of the U.S. women’s team, voiced her preference not to let a “distasteful” joke by Trump detract from the historic achievements of American women at the Winter Games. Players across both teams have emphasized their strong camaraderie in the athletes’ village in Milan and mutual support leading to their gold medal victories.
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, Brady’s brother, remarked,
“Our two teams were so close. We watched other events together. We went and supported them. We loved the women’s team. The women’s team loved us and we’re so proud that we had a clean sweep of gold medals and just so much respect for them and the other athletes.”
Tkachuk Reflects on National Pride Amid Cross-Border Rivalry
When questioned about balancing pride in representing the United States while captaining a Canadian NHL team, Brady Tkachuk expressed his commitment to both roles.
“First and foremost, I’ve given absolutely everything I have as an Ottawa Senator — blood, sweat and tears,”
he said.
“When you represent the U.S., being an American, it’s an honor. There are only three teams that have won the gold medal for the U.S., so to be part of that is special.”
The incident involving the manipulated video and ongoing political undertones surrounding the Olympic wins highlight the fragile intersection of sportsmanship, national pride, and public perception. As Team USA’s hockey players resume their professional seasons, both on-ice performance and off-ice narratives continue to draw intense attention.
