Travis Kelce Had Classy Message for USA Women’s Hockey’s Laila Edwards After Gold Win

Travis and Jason Kelce gave a sweet shout-out to U.S. women’s hockey star and fellow Cleveland Heights native Laila Edwards after she helped Team USA win gold in the Milan Cortina Olympics. | Screengrab on YouTube/ @newheightshow

Travis Kelce isn’t the only sports champion to come out of Cleveland Heights, Ohio—U.S. women’s hockey star Laila Edwards has a little something to brag about, too.

Edwards and the U.S. women’s hockey team are coming off a dominant gold medal-winning run at the Milan Cortina Olympics, which ended with a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory in the final against Canada. Following Team USA’s triumph, Edwards made a somewhat bold proclamation during a guest appearance on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast. “Hi, I’m Laila Edwards. Not gonna lie, I’m the best athlete to come out of Cleveland Heights,” Edwards said with a confident smile.

Travis Kelce has since caught wind of Edwards’s boast and followed up with a very classy response—but not before getting a good ol’ fashioned ribbing in:

“I’m just going to say Laila, I’ve got two banners in the Cleveland Heights hockey rink,” Kelce joked on the latest episode of New Heights. “I’m not sure how many banners you have. That’s a young Travis Kelce looking as tall as all the adults, that’s a hefty boy right there. Looks like I might have f---ing got some teeth knocked out or they just fell out at that age.”

“... Cleveland suburban hockey champs right there, two-time champs,” Kelce added, continuing the bit.

He then more seriously praised Edwards and the rest of the the U.S. women’s hockey team for their impressive Olympic feat.

“But I’ll let you have [the title] because you’re the only one to have gold, so a little tip of the cap to you Laila,” Kelce said. “That was awesome to see you go and get it.”

Laila Edwards won a gold medal … but does she have any AA banners in the Cleveland Heights hockey rink? 😂😅

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!!!https://t.co/f7dboxtg4v pic.twitter.com/zZdHzWTV7T

— New Heights (@newheightshow) February 25, 2026

Jason Kelce also had “no objection” to Edwards dubbing herself the best athlete out of Cleveland Heights and gave the Team USA defender her deserved flowers.

“She was very, very good throughout the Olympics,” Jason said on the podcast. “One of the things after talking to her, you realize she is from the Heights, man. There’s just this humbleness but also she’s a great person... Just so proud for all of them. It’s an incredible moment to win a gold medal.”

“I can only imagine what that feels like, man,” Travis said. “... Shout out to Laila one more time for bringing home some gold to not only the USA, but the old Heights, baby. You know how proud we all are.”

The Kelce brothers have supported Edwards since 2023, when they publicly congratulated her for becoming the first Black player to make it on the U.S. senior women’s national team. In the Milan Cortina Games, Edwards’s family was able to see her win gold rink-side in part due to a $10,000 GoFundMe donation from the Kelce brothers, which helped 10 of her family members and four friends to make the trip to Italy for her Olympic debut.

No matter where the 22-year-old Edwards’s promising hockey career takes her next, she can sleep easy knowing she’s already won the sport’s biggest prize, and she’ll always have her hometown allies by her side.

---