Trump sends big message in US-Canada ice hockey rivalry with delegation selections for Milan-Cortina Games

President Donald Trump announced Saturday who helium is sending to correspond his statesmanlike delegation to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics successful bluish Italy adjacent month. 

Vice President JD Vance and his woman Usha person been chosen to pb the delegation. 

The different members see Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ambassador of the United States to the Italian Republic Tilman Feritta, 2018 women’s crystal hockey Olympic golden medalists Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, 2002 and 2006 velocity skating golden medalist Apolo Ohno and 2010 fig skating golden medalist Evan Lysacek. 

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Trump's delegation having 2 of the U.S. women's crystal hockey players that defeated Canada to triumph golden comes astatine a clip of nationalist hostility and heated rivalry with the neighboring nation.

USA women's crystal hockey golden medal winners Jocelyne Lamoureux, left, and Monique Lamoureux-Morando aft beating Canada successful the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games successful Gangneung, South Korea.  (Harry How/Getty Images)

Multiple athletes competing for the upcoming U.S. women's crystal hockey Olympic squad person said they are consenting to prosecute successful carnal combat with Canada players if it comes to it. 

U.S. women's hockey prima Caroline Harvey said she is prepared to combat and adjacent perceive Canadians boo "The Star-Spangled Banner" astatine the Games. 

"It's expected, particularly playing Canada," Harvey told Fox News Digital of imaginable anthem booing astatine the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee media acme successful October. "They don't similar america precise much. So it's much motivating than thing and, personally, it fuels the occurrence and makes america privation to, you know, bushed them much than ever.

US HOCKEY STAR BRADY TKACHUK OPENS UP ON TRUMP PHONE CALL AHEAD OF 4-NATIONS FACE-OFF FINAL VS CANADA

Members of Team USA and Canadian women's hockey teams scrap during the IIHF Women's World Championship, Aug. 26, 2021, successful Calgary, Canada.  (Derek Leung/Getty Images)

"I don't similar them either. They're a respectable competitor, they're truthful good, and ever springiness america specified a hard game, it's truthful back-and-forth. But erstwhile we get successful the vigor of the moment, we conscionable ever combat and don't similar them… It does get idiosyncratic astatine times."

Veteran teammate Kendall Coyne Schofield, the parent of a toddler and self-described "lover, not a fighter," told Fox News Digital successful October suggested she would combat if the concern demands it. 

"If I person to, I person to," she said. "And I wouldn't accidental I'm not a combatant successful the consciousness that I've fought for galore things successful life. But I would conscionable accidental successful general, warring is not a spot of my game. But if I'm retired there, and I person to, you know, assistance my teammates out, I will. But you won't find maine starting the fight, I tin archer you that."

Team USA and Canadian women's hockey players conflict during the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championship successful Calgary, Canada.  (Derek Leung/Getty Images)

The delegation volition correspond Trump and the U.S. astatine a clip erstwhile the medication has shown willingness to usage tariffs to acquisition Greenland, and is overseeing a authorities alteration successful Venezuela aft capturing its erstwhile person Nicolás Maduro.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has ruled retired immoderate exclusion oregon sanctions against the U.S. successful the upcoming Winter Games. 

"In a satellite shaken by struggle and division, the International Olympic Committee stands steadfast successful its content that athletics indispensable stay a beacon of anticipation – a unit that brings the full satellite unneurotic successful peaceful competition. This is astatine the precise bosom of the Olympic Movement and derives from the Fundamental Principles of Olympism. This was re-emphasised by the IOC Executive Board successful September 2025, the IOC said successful a connection provided to Fox News Digital.

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"As a planetary organisation, the IOC has to negociate a analyzable reality. At each variation of the Olympic Games, the IOC has to woody with the existent governmental discourse and the latest developments successful the world. We person ever done this successfully. The quality to bring athletes together, nary substance wherever they travel from, is cardinal to the aboriginal of values-based, genuinely planetary sport, which tin springiness anticipation to the world."

"For this reason, the IOC cannot impact itself straight successful governmental matters oregon conflicts betwixt countries, arsenic these autumn extracurricular our remit. This is the realm of politics. Our relation is to guarantee that athletes tin enactment astatine the Olympic Games, nary substance wherever they travel from."

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