NHL star Dylan Strome has found himself at the center of the USA men’s team controversy this week, despite not even playing in the Olympics.
The American gold winners have come under fire this week after Donald Trump‘s ‘misogynistic’ joke during his phone call to congratulate them drew laughter.
Amid the backlash, the NHL’s social media account posted a photo of Strome, who is neither an American nor an Olympian, with one of his daughters at Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
The league’s account captioned the image: ‘Dylan Strome is the ultimate girl dad.’
Although the post has since been deleted, it drew ire from Strome’s wife, Tayler, who lashed out at both the NHL for dragging their family into the row and at the social media users who turned on the hockey star over the post.
‘We were placed into a narrative that we have absolutely nothing to do with, and we certainly did not choose to have our family used in it,’ Tayler wrote earlier this week.
Tayler Strome, the wife of NHL star Dylan Strome, hit out at the league over a social media post
The NHL shared a photo of Strome with one of his daughters, calling him a ‘girl dad’
‘You can debate adults all you want, but dragging my husband and especially my toddler into something that has nothing to do with us is beyond unacceptable.
‘The comments and messages about my TWO YEAR OLD DAUGHTER are some of the most vile and disgusting things I have ever read in my life. This isn’t about politics. She is a child. Full stop. Do better. & to everyone who has reached out or addressed this situation with more than a single brain cell, thank you.’
While the NHL has previously highlighted Strome as a ‘girl dad,’ the timing of the latest social media post attracted negative attention with some fans seemingly believing the Canadian player to be a member of the gold medal-winning USA team.
‘Not using the daughter as a human shield, my god,’ one user wrote, in the replies to the NHL’s post.
‘Oh yea suuuuuuch a lover of women, [do you] think he’ll laugh at her achievements too?’ another asked, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Strome was not a US Olympian.
‘I feel sorry for the kid… imagine having THAT as your dad,’ added a third.
Some hockey fans shared Tayler’s fury as they claimed it was ‘very poor behavior from the NHL PR folks,’ as they also hit out at ‘the freaks and losers who showed up in the comments.’
Following Sunday’s win for the USA, Trump invited the champions to his State of the Union address, which took place on Tuesday.
Strome is father to three daughters, Weslie, four, Emerson, two, and Sutton, who was born last year
The Washington Capitals center is Canadian but did not play at the Winter Olympics
However, the president initially appeared reluctant to extend the same invitation to the USA women’s team, despite the female players also winning gold in Milan.
In a leaked clip from inside the locker room, Trump told the American players: ‘I must tell you, we are going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that. I do believe I would probably be impeached [if I didn’t invite them].’
His comment drew laughter from Mike Sullivan’s players, who instantly accepted the offer. An invitation was later extended to the women’s team, too, but it was declined.
Trump’s comment – and the reaction from the players – sparked fury from critics, including ex-ESPN star Keith Olbermann who said anyone that accepts the president’s invite is ‘declaring their indelible stupidity and misogyny.’
US women’s hockey star Laila Edwards also appeared to be unimpressed by the players’ reaction. She liked a post on Instagram which carried a quote, purportedly from comedian Tina Fey.
‘You can tell how smart people are by what they laugh at,’ read the post. It was captioned: ‘Anyway, women >>>’
Hilary Knight, the captain of the women’s team, branded Trump’s remark ‘distasteful’ on Wednesday, but said that it was not worth distracting from Team USA‘s success.
‘I just thought the joke was distasteful and unfortunate,’ Knight said alongside fellow Olympians Alex Carpenter, Hannah Bilka and Cayla Barnes at the Seattle Space Needle ahead of their return to play for the Seattle Torrent of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Donald Trump made a ‘misogynistic’ remark about the USA women’s team while calling the male stars to congratulate them on their Winter Olympics gold medal
Team USA’s men’s hockey stars have come under fire after laughing at the ‘sexist’ joke
The American women also clinched gold at the Milan-Cortina Games just days earlier
‘And, I think just the way women are represented, it’s a great teaching point and really shines light on how women should be championed for their amazing feats.’
Knight, a two-time gold medalist whose 15 goals and 33 points in Olympic competition are the most by a US hockey player at the Games, said she’s not focusing on an offhand comment by Trump after the American men topped Canada for gold in overtime on Sunday.
Although the women’s team did eventually receive an invite, they initially declined the offer.
‘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,’ USA Hockey told NBC News.
‘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.’
However, Trump declared that the women’s team would ‘soon be coming to the White House’ during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.