The backlash over the USA men's Olympic hockey team's locker room celebration isn't fading anytime soon.
Instead, fans and supporters of women's hockey have turned the National Hockey League’s social media into an ongoing accountability campaign, ratio'ing nearly every post while demanding an apology and directing attention toward the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
The men's team's Olympic gold was overshadowed by widespread backlash to their laughing at President Donald Trump's "joke" about having to also invite the women's team, which had won their gold medal game days before, or he would be "impeached."
The league and many team accounts continued posting regular content as if nothing had happened, seemingly in the hopes of waiting out the backlash. Clearly, online audiences rejected that approach.
Threads users turned NHL comment sections into ratio battles
While the NHL accounts continued to post highlights and game promotions, comment sections quickly filled with criticism, chirps, and reminders about the Olympic controversy.
There were also many comments telling people to support women’s hockey.
Over on Threads, @kellygriese posted about the phenomenon, which seems to be filling every single NHL-affiliated account with memes, requests for accountability, and links to the PWHL hockey schedule and recommendations for women's teams for people to support.
Kelly wrote, "I need a news outlet to report on how EVERY SINGLE POST by @nhl teams is being ratioed to the extreme. There should even be a class taught about it for PR and marketing students. The most tone deaf social media I’ve witnessed in years. APOLOGIZE!" (You're welcome!)
Meanwhile, interest in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has surged.
After the Olympic break ended, the league reported record attendance numbers. Several arenas sold out across multiple markets.
Because of that growth, many commenters used NHL posts to share links to the PWHL schedule and encouraged fans to support specific women’s teams instead.
One-woman Threads ratio show
However, one woman in particular made the ratio campaign her personal project. Threads user @she.sells.seachelles began replying to nearly every NHL or team post she saw.
Each comment targeted the post's topic while demanding an apology or pointing followers toward women’s hockey.
For example, if a team posted a game graphic, she replied with jokes about accountability. If the post promoted merchandise, she suggested players owning up to their bad behavior.
"My kink is ratio-ing NHL team social media," she wrote, posting screenshots that showed her comments receiving far more likes than the original team posts.
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