Tkachuk, Sanderson say they have nothing but respect for U.S. women's team as men's team faces backlash

Two Ottawa Senators faced some tough questions in the locker room Wednesday about the backlash against the U.S. men's hockey team they were part of over their behaviour after winning Olympic gold.

The U.S. men's team has come under fire due to a video showing several of the male players laughing while on a call with U.S. President Donald Trump where he joked that he'd "have to" invite the women's team to the White House, too. 

Ahead of their first game back on Canadian soil, Brady Tkachuk and Jake Sanderson each told reporters they had nothing but respect for the women's team — who also won Olympic gold against Canada — but said they got caught up in the moment after their win. 

"I think, you know, looking back at it now, I think it was a mistake," Sanderson said when asked about how the men's team acted on the call, which happened in the men's locker room as the team was celebrating their win. 

"But I think things got blown out of proportion a little bit. You know we have nothing but the utmost respect for the women." 

Tkachuk made similar comments when asked about the call, saying some of his best memories from the Olympics were hanging out with the women's team and cheering them on in their tournament. 

"They know that we supported them throughout the whole tournament."

When pressed about why, then, players were laughing at Trump's comments on the call, Tkachuk said: "I don't really have an answer."

"Honestly, it was just a whirlwind of a moment that you can't really control what somebody says," he said. 

"I guess I was caught off guard a little bit."

The Senators captain spoke Thursday ahead of the team's home game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Canadian Tire Centre, where the Senators were also hosting women