American hockey star Matthew Tkachuk has faced criticism after expressing his desire to have a son who could uphold his legacy on the ice, sparking allegations of ‘sexism’ and ‘misogyny’.

Tkachuk, who played a pivotal role in securing a gold medal for the U.S. at last month’s Winter Olympics in Italy, shared on Wednesday that he and his wife Ellie are expecting their first child, nearly a year into their marriage.

The 28-year-old Florida Panthers athlete disclosed during an interview with Sean Hannity that he and Ellie are opting to discover their baby’s gender in the delivery room, choosing not to learn it in advance.

Controversy arose when Tkachuk mentioned his hope for a son, expressing a desire to embrace the role of a hockey dad in the future.

‘Yes, I mean, at some point, would definitely have to have a boy,’ he said on the Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast, via People. ‘I’ve been explaining to [my wife], because she has just a sister [and] no brothers… what youth hockey is like. And I think I’m more excited for youth hockey one day than my current hockey right now.’

When questioned about his plans for introducing his child to skating, Tkachuk responded with enthusiasm, stating, “Oh, I’m lacing them up. As soon as he can at least stand, I’ll be taking him around the ice.”

USA hockey star Matthew Tkachuk has come under fire for explaining why he wants a son

Tkachuk, who is expecting his first child with wife Ellie, admitted he wants to be a hockey dad

The winger’s comments drew backlash from numerous fans on social media, who were already sensitive following Donald Trump’s contentious remarks about the U.S. women’s team during a congratulatory call with the men’s team last month.

One user said about Tkachuk on X: ‘you would think after all the s*** from the gold medal celebration he would try [to] be less blatantly sexist. and yet’.

Another argued: ‘Women’s hockey just hit 100k players and one of the faces of the NHL is saying this. You can say you hung out with the women’s team but that means literally nothing when you’re essentially saying you won’t be happy until you’ve had a boy. Just mask-off misogyny’.

A third put: ‘like oh okay so would you not put your girl in youth hockey too or’.

‘Someone tell him he can also be a hockey dad if he has a daughter,’ a fourth pointed out.

While a fifth wrote sarcastically: ‘Famously girls never play hockey’.

The USA women’s team also won gold at the Milan-Cortina Games last month, getting the better of rivals Canada in the final just like their male counterparts.

Following the men’s victory, Trump enjoyed a phone call with Tkachuk and his teammates in the locker room to congratulate them, only for his jibe about the women to ultimately dominate headlines.

The Florida Panthers player made the comments on Sean Hannity’s podcast this week

It comes after the men’s team drew criticism last month over a controversial interaction with Donald Trump, who poked fun at their female counterparts

The president was heard saying when inviting them to Washington DC: ‘I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.’

He then added: ‘I do believe I probably would be impeached [if not].’

Several men’s players apologized over the interaction with Trump, while stressing that they share a close bond with the women’s team.

NHL star Charlie McAvoy said: ‘Certainly sorry for how we responded to it in that moment. You know, things just happened really quick there.’

‘If you know the men’s team, and if you know the relationships that we have, the amount of time that we’ve spent with the women’s team and how we’ve supported them, it’s certainly not reflective of how we feel and look at them and their accomplishments,’ McAvoy added.

Jack Hughes, who proved the hero in the men’s gold-medal showdown with Canada, also insisted the men’s and women’s players are ‘tight.’