Quinn Hughes, a standout athlete in USA hockey, faced an unexpected challenge during a recent Saturday Night Live rehearsal, as reported by the Daily Mail. The source described Hughes as looking “visibly uncomfortable” after being met with boos from the live audience at the event.

Hughes appeared on the show alongside his brother Jack and fellow hockey champions Hilary Knight and Megan Keller. Their appearance followed a triumphant double gold-medal win for Team USA at the Winter Olympics. The show was intended to celebrate their achievements, but the atmosphere took a turn due to recent political controversies.

The tension stemmed from remarks made by former President Donald Trump, who jokingly commented on the men’s hockey team’s success. Trump suggested he would have to invite the women’s team to Washington as well, joking that he might face impeachment otherwise. This comment, perceived as controversial, stirred public discourse and affected the reception of the men’s team.

The men’s team, despite the backlash, attended Trump’s State of the Union speech, which added to the criticism they faced. In contrast, the women’s team cited “academic and professional commitments” as their reason for declining the invite.

During the SNL dress rehearsal, Quinn Hughes, attending without his brother Jack who was committed to a game with the New Jersey Devils, was met with jeers from the audience. This reaction underscored the tension surrounding the team’s recent interactions with the political sphere, casting a shadow over what was meant to be a celebratory occasion.

And while carrying out the dress rehearsal without brother Jack, who was playing for the New Jersey Devils at the time, Hughes was brutally jeered by the SNL crowd as a result.

USA hockey star Quinn Hughes (left) was booed while rehearsing for Saturday Night Live

Quinn and brother Jack helped the American men’s team claim gold at the Winter Olympics

An insider told the Daily Mail that the Minnesota Wild defenseman was ‘very loudly booed’ while rehearsing with ‘Heated Rivalry’ star Connor Storrie due to the men’s team’s ‘hurtful’ exchange with Trump.

‘The audience booed very loudly and he looked very visibly uncomfortable,’ the source recalled. ‘I don’t know if it was the entire studio but it was LOUD and sounded plentiful. 

‘He didn’t make a face face but you could very clearly tell he looked at the very least uncomfortable.’

They also added about the Trump controversy: ‘I think at least from personal thoughts and feelings that it wasn’t so much the call but how [the team] reacted and how since they really have taken no accountability for what they did was hurtful, especially since a few men on the team have come forward saying they shouldn’t have laughed at Trump’s joke because they do respect the women, their achievements and how hard they work.’

Another source described the reaction as a ‘mixture of light clapping and booing’ when Hughes appeared for the rehearsal. 

‘My friend and I ended up being seated on opposite sides of the studio and we both heard booing from each section,’ they said. ‘I personally didn’t participate in either clapping or booing, I was just kind of sitting there with a straight face on, but my friend said she did participate in the booing. 

‘The [cheers] when Megan and Hilary came on stage was insane though. The dress rehearsal cheering and clapping was much louder and longer compared to the live show.’

But USA’s male players have received scrutiny over their viral exchange with Donald Trump

The Hughes brothers appeared on SNL alongside women’s stars Hilary Knight (second from right) and Megan Keller (second from left)

While another added: ‘No one really cheered when he came on… some people in my section did boo though!’ 

An SNL insider has played down the reaction and stressed that audience members are not directed to respond in any certain way.

During the live recording, the Hughes brothers, Knight and Keller all appeared to receive a loud and lengthy ovation during Storrie’s opening monologue.

Knight also made light of Trump’s joke by saying: ‘It was going to be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys too.’

Last week the women’s captain had a more serious assessment of the controversy, describing the president’s remarks as ‘distasteful and unfortunate.’

A number of the men claimed to have laughed at Trump’s joke while caught up in the moment, before issuing apologies over the viral incident.

During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Jack – who scored the winning goal in overtime against Canada – highlighted the strong connection between the men’s and women’s teams while playing down the fallout.

Knight has branded Trump’s joke about the women’s team ‘distasteful and unfortunate’

‘We are hanging out with them so much, the women’s team. We were supporting them. Like, we were at their games, they were at our games,’ he explained.

‘Like all these people talking, how many of them watched their gold medal game? Me and Quinn Hughes were at the game. We were at the game until like overtime ended on the glass, and we were jumping up and down so excited for these girls, so excited they won,’ Hughes added about the men’s team’s critics.

‘And how many of these people watched the gold medal game, watched their semifinals game? Like 10 of our players went to their game in the round-robin.

‘We supported them so much, and we’re so proud of them. We’re so happy that they won, and they brought a gold medal back and that, you know, I said it, the men’s and women’s team both brought gold medals back. So, just unbelievable for USA hockey.’