NEWARK, NJ — Jack Hughes estimates that he has watched his overtime goal against Canada about 50 times, the one that delivered Olympic gold to the U.S. men’s hockey team for the first time since 1980. He notices new aspects of the play with each viewing, along with an undercurrent of existential dread.
“I just get nervous watching it. Like, what if it doesn’t go in this time?” he told ESPN last week, seated inside a suite at Prudential Center, home to his club, the New Jersey Devils.
But on every viewing, the puck always flies past goalie Jordan Binnington and gets wedged near the in-net camera. Hughes didn’t realize it was a goal until he saw his longtime friend Dylan Larkin deliriously sprinting at him for a celebration 46 years in the making, the last time Team USA won Olympic gold.
In the deluge of congratulatory messages that Hughes received, one stood out as the most surreal: actor Kurt Russell, who played coaching legend Herb Brooks in the movie “Miracle,” underscoring the 2026 team’s historic win.
“It changed all of our lives. We’re champions. We’re Olympic gold medalists. To break that streak and win a gold medal, it bonds us forever,” Hughes said after returning from Milan. “It’ll never be about one person. It’s all about the USA Hockey brotherhood. We’re just such a team.”
At every turn, Hughes has tried to redirect praise for his “golden goal” to his teammates. In the postgame interview immediately after the gold medal win over Canada, Hughes gushed about the “ballsy, gutsy” win by his teammates. The first player he mentioned was goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who made 41 saves, as “our best player tonight by a mile.”
“It’ll never be about the ‘golden goal.’ It’ll be about our three weeks at the Olympics, that we’re champions, and what a special time it was,” Hughes said.
But try as Hughes might, it has very much been about the “golden goal” since the team returned from Milan.
That’s unavoidable. Think about the “Miracle on Ice” 1980 team: Goalie Jim Craig is credited with being the backbone for the win over Russia and subsequent gold medal victory against Finland. But Mike Eruzione is the American sports legend for scoring the winner against the Russians, his name becoming synonymous with the “Miracle” and still earning him appearance fees 46 years later.
People who don’t talk about hockey are talking about Jack Hughes. He has landed on morning talk shows and late-night comedy shows. His words carry significantly more consequence, whether they’re about the controversies born out of Team USA’s gold medal celebrations or his desire to own the “golden goal” puck instead of the Hockey Hall of Fame. In the NHL, he’s getting cheers in places where he has been traditionally jeered. In one month, he has moved from hockey star to sports icon.
Look no further than the photo snapped by Elsa Garrison at the Olympics: Jack Hughes draped in an American flag, his right fist raised in celebration, his jubilant smile dotted with blood-soaked broken teeth. It’s an instant poster. It’s a T-shirt worn by ESPN’s Pat McAfee while interviewing Hughes. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge said the photo was sent around the World Baseball Classic group chat as shorthand for American athletic excellence.
“I don’t even like that photo. I just look like an idiot with no teeth,” Hughes said, self-deprecatingly. “But obviously, it’s a really cool picture. I know it’s gotten a lot of love.”
The past month since the “golden goal” has been a lot. Agent Pat Brisson believes no one on Team USA was more prepared or enthusiastic about this star-making moment than Jack Hughes.
“It couldn’t have been a better person, in that sense. He’s not just a hockey player. He’s very smart, well-read. Hockey is his passion, but he also has a lot of interest about the world, understanding different cultures and understanding his generation,” said Brisson, who has known Hughes since the latter was 10 years old.
“So, when this moment happened — I called it ‘the tsunami’ because no one expects it’s coming and then like boom it hits — Jack is equipped to handle it,” he said. “Not everyone’s equipped. There’s a lot of great players who would’ve taken the moment and done a great job, but he’s taken it to another level.”
Look no further than the whirlwind tour of high-profile appearances Hughes made in the wake of the “golden goal.”
Feb. 27: “The Pat McAfee Show”
Pat McAfee was one of Team USA’s biggest fans before he became the players’ wealthy benefactor.
When the players arrived back in the U.S., the gold medal celebration began in Miami. The players strolled a red carpet into E11EVEN, the all-night party spot that has hosted championship celebrations for the Florida Panthers and the Indiana Hoosiers football team.
During the festivities, McAfee appeared in a video in an American flag tank top to tell the players that their drinks that night were on him, E11EVEN, and “the rest of the United States of America” — and considering that the champagne tab alone was $150,000, according to the club, it was a significant gift.
Hughes said that McAfee had been in touch with the team throughout its journey in Milan to offer support.
“Then obviously after we won, he was probably on the FaceTime list for all the boys,” Hughes said.
Hughes was booked on McAfee’s ESPN afternoon show at a geographically advantageous time. The Devils played in Pittsburgh on Feb. 26 and were headed to St. Louis for a game on Feb. 28. The McAfee show was on site at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.
The candid, half-hour conversation covered everything from Hughes’ missing teeth (“I don’t have a dental plan yet”) to the USA vs. Canada rivalry (“It’s very intense right now.”). At the end, McAfee surprised Hughes with a shooting challenge: fire a street-hockey ball into a large round hole on a trash-bin-sized pillar and get $100,000 for the charity of Hughes’ choice.
Easy, right?
“That was the most nervous I’d been in the two weeks since the Olympics,” Hughes said. “We were just hanging out and chopping it up and then the next thing you know … they never mentioned that to me, and then they’re like, ‘We’re doing a $100,000 shot.'”
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Jack Hughes always dreamed of his gold medal moment
Jack Hughes tells Pat McAfee what it was like scoring the game winner for the U.S. men’s hockey team.
Hughes had seen “a million” editions of McAfee’s football kicking challenge on “ESPN College GameDay,” and now understood the emotional dynamics of those moments. “I’m on the ramp. It’s live TV. I was just like, ‘I’m nervous as hell,'” he said.
It might not have been taking a shot to win Olympic gold in overtime, but Hughes still came through in the clutch, sinking the ball in the target before a celebratory embrace with McAfee.
One of the charities benefiting from Hughes’ shot: the Gaudreau Family Foundation, which honors the legacies of the late Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau.
Feb. 28: “Saturday Night Live”
The week leading up to a new episode of “Saturday Night Live” gives the cast and its guest host time to get familiar with the material. That includes a full dress rehearsal show in front of a live audience on the same night as the live edition that airs later at 11:30 p.m. ET.
Jack’s brother Quinn Hughes, the Minnesota Wild defenseman and Team USA star, attended “dress” and practiced the opening monologue bit that featured the Hughes brothers being joined on stage by U.S. women’s Olympic gold medalists Megan Keller and Hilary Knight. Jack Hughes was playing for the Devils in St. Louis around that time, and barely made it to the live show in a whirlwind of air travel.
Jack and Luke Hughes, his younger brother and Devils teammate, were given a police escort from Enterprise Center to a small airfield where a private jet awaited them. Among the passengers were Devils owners David and Allison Blitzer. The flight landed at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, then it was a helicopter ride across the river to Manhattan, followed by a swift car ride with another police escort to 30 Rockefeller Plaza, arriving at the SNL studios with less than an hour before the show went live.
“I was just lucky I made it on time. The big winners were my owners, the Blitzer family. They were such beauties getting me there,” Jack Hughes said. “It was unbelievable to travel from St. Louis to New York. I didn’t even think about the show until I was walking up on stage because I was just like, ‘I played a game, and I don’t know if I’m even going to get there on time.’
“Once we got there on time, we’re gearing up to do it. I see my lines once, and then that’s it. But then, I just go up, and there’s cue cards. And I’m looking around, but I forget that I have to look at the cue cards. It was so, so fun.”
Being part of the show gave Hughes entry to one of New York’s most exclusive traditions: the SNL afterparty, which The Athletic reported was held at Mermaid Oyster Bar. Jack, Quinn, Luke and their family spent much of it hanging out with SNL creator Lorne Michaels.
“He’s from Toronto. Big sports fan. Big hockey fan,” Hughes said of Michaels. “The three of us were kind of grilling him because he’s been a part of the New York scene for forever, and he just had so many amazing stories for us.”
That episode of SNL brought together two of the most famous hockey players in pop culture: Jack Hughes of Olympic heroism and Ilya Rozanov of “Heated Rivalry,” aka host Connor Storrie. The HBO Max sensation was inevitably going to be a topic in the monologue.
Jack Hughes: “I got my teeth knocked out in the finals. Does that happen on your show?”
Connor Storrie: “Metaphorically.”
Hughes still hasn’t seen “Heated Rivalry,” but was left impressed by its star.
“He was a super nice guy. I was really impressed with him. Just a really cool, normal, gracious guy,” he said of Storrie.
March 3: “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”
It was announced before the unexpected SNL drop-in that Jack, Quinn and Hilary Knight would all appear on “The Tonight Show” together to celebrate Team USA’s double gold. A surreal month got even more surreal when host Jimmy Fallon brought actress — and noted Nashville Predators supporter — Nicole Kidman to meet the Hughes brothers in their dressing room before the show.
Jack Hughes said it was a less intense atmosphere than SNL, thanks in part to the host.
“We were just a small part of SNL. It’s a skit, and it’s so cool to be a part of that,” he said. “And then you’re on this other legendary show with Fallon doing a sit-down interview. And he’s such an easy guy. So much energy, and he makes it really easy for us.”
Even if the host of “The Tonight Show” is a fan of the Devils’ most hated rival.
“I think he is a big Rangers fan. That’s fine, though. He’s a New York legend, so that was cool to be a part of,” Hughes said.
Of course, Hughes and Rangers fans have a different relationship thanks to Olympic gold. The same could be said for a lot of other hockey fans, whose views on Hughes have changed — for better or worse.
DEVILS HOME GAMES against the Rangers are always a house divided: red jerseys next to blue jerseys, with both teams getting cheered and booed.
But when Jack Hughes scored the second goal of his hat trick against New York on March 7, the Prudential Center crowd erupted with a “U-S-A!” chant to honor him.
“After the Olympics, I’ve got Rangers fans cheering for me,” he said. “It’s an unbelievable fan base, but in the past, they used to say something nice and then say, ‘Go Rangers!’ Now, we’re all Americans. It’s really cool that that happened.”
In the Devils’ first game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden after the Olympic break, a large sign dotted the stands near the Devils’ bench that read “RED, WHITE AND HUGHES.” When New Jersey visited the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hughes heard cheers.
“I always felt like when I go on the road that I see a ton of Hughes jerseys on the glass for warmups and stuff, but it’s definitely at a different level now. And it’s really fun for me getting cheered by Rangers fans, just because the Devils-Rangers rivalry is so unreal,” he said.
“So many Devils fans live in New York. So many Rangers fans live in New Jersey. So you’re always bumping into people and you don’t know if they’re going to say ‘Go Rangers!’ or ‘Go Devils!’ but it doesn’t matter who it’s been. They’ve all been pretty fired up as of late.”
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Jack Hughes gets an ovation from the Pittsburgh crowd
Devils forward Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal for USA hockey team, gets a rousing ovation from Pittsburgh fans.
Of course, some people have been “fired up” about Hughes and his teammates for dramatically different reasons after they won gold.
During the team’s locker room celebration in Milan, which featured FBI director Kash Patel as a guest, President Donald Trump invited the players to visit the White House and attend the State of the Union address.
As Patel held the phone, Trump said, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that,” adding jokingly that if he didn’t also invite the women’s team, “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
Some U.S. players laughed at the comments, a reaction that drew harsh criticism when the video went viral.
“You’re in the moment, the president calls, we’re blaring the music. It is what it is now, but we have so much respect for the women’s team. They have so much respect for us. We’re all just proud Americans, and we’re happy we swept the Olympics,” Hughes said after returning from the Olympics.
The U.S. women’s hockey team, which won gold for the third time since the Olympics added the women’s competition in 1998, declined an invitation from Trump to attend the State of the Union, citing logistics and scheduling concerns. The men’s team, except for five players who cited scheduling considerations, met Trump and members of his administration at the White House. The majority of the team, including Jack and Quinn Hughes, attended the State of the Union as honored guests.
Their decision was met with derision. ESPN radio host Peter Rosenberg called the players “sad little pawns.” Said Mary Clarke of USA Today: “With hockey at the peak of its popularity in the pop culture zeitgeist, the United States men’s team failed to meet the moment.”
After attending the State of the Union, Hughes responded to the criticism by saying, “You got to remember we’re just hockey players,” and “we were so proud to be back in the U.S. and celebrating with our teammates.”
The weeks after the gold medal win were overshadowed by these controversies. Jack and Quinn Hughes were asked about them on “Good Morning America.” Jack Hughes addressed them on the red carpet at E11EVEN, saying, “No matter what your views are, we’re super excited to go to the White House and be a part of that.”
The Hughes brothers’ cameo on SNL was even impacted by the controversy. According to The Athletic, the original plan was to have Jack and Quinn Hughes appear during the monologue, but in the wake of Trump’s joke and the backlash, SNL suggested that Keller and Knight be added, which everyone signed off on. Knight joked during the monologue that “It was going to be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys, too.”
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Jack Hughes praises U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams winning gold
Jack Hughes receives a tribute in return to the Devils, with U.S. teammate Tage Thompson joining in, and praises the U.S. men’s and women’s hockey teams.
Social media was filled with harsh rebukes of Team USA players. Some of the sentiment around Hughes had shifted, too.
ESPN reported last week that Hughes wanted his “golden goal” puck to gift to his father, saying it was “bulls— that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion.” The Hall of Fame told ESPN that “it was never Jack’s puck to own,” citing a preexisting agreement where the International Ice Hockey Federation donates historic items from the Olympic tournament to the Toronto-based Hall of Fame, a nonprofit.
Critics were vocal online, with some calling Hughes “entitled” and citing Sidney Crosby having never sought his “golden goal” from the 2010 Olympics, a puck that is also owned by the Hall of Fame, as a point of comparison.
“I heard so many comments. People started attacking Jack,” said Brisson, who said Hughes is fine with the Hall of Fame owning the puck now that he’s aware of the IIHF’s protocols.
Brisson said the backlash against Team USA and Hughes was indicative of “the world we’re navigating,” both politically and on social media.
“You’re never going to bat a thousand. Everything is magnified, a hundred miles an hour coming at you. Everyone’s a Monday morning quarterback,” he said. “It’s how you deal with what’s presented in front of you. With the political climates, [Jack] stayed away from it. He’s very smart. He probably has opinions, but he’s a very intelligent, equipped ambassador.”
All of this illustrates the higher level of awareness Hughes has achieved, not just in the past month but the past several months. Hughes had become celebrity tabloid fodder, having been photographed spending time with pop star Tate McRae around New York City and having her attend a Devils game. But the “golden goal” sent his fame into the stratosphere, as reflected by the offers Brisson is receiving for Hughes post-Olympics.
“Jack always had the ‘it’ factor. Now, we have more options to do,” Brisson said. “He gets to decide much quicker now how this painting’s going to look in a few years.”
Things have changed for Hughes off the ice after his Olympic heroism. What about on the ice?
“Have you ever found Jack to be short on swagger since the day he stepped in the league?” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe asked.
THE BIGGEST CHANGE for Jack Hughes from a hockey perspective has been his health. He missed 18 games for the Devils after what he called a “freak accident” at a Chicago restaurant in which he sliced his right hand on broken glass, resulting in surgery. He also battled a lower-body injury before leaving for the Olympics.
“Even as he came back, for the stretch of games leading into the Olympics, he’s playing essentially with one hand. He’s not himself,” Keefe said. “And just prior to the Olympics, the brace comes off and he’s getting full use of his hand, and he gets that experience that he has in the Olympics, and he comes back and just keeps building his game.”
Expectations weren’t high for Hughes in Milan. He had what many felt was an underwhelming 4 Nations Face-Off for Team USA, generating one assist while playing out of position on the wing — although Hughes believes that criticism was misplaced.
“Honestly, I loved my game at 4 Nations. I stand by that. I think a lot of people don’t watch the games that closely. It’s easy to look at the stats. I fall for it, too,” he said. “I was never wavering in my [belief] that I could play in those monster games and make a big impact.”
In the Olympics, Hughes had four goals and three assists in six games, skating to a plus-8. He began on the wing of the team’s fourth line and played his way up the lineup, eventually ending the tournament with his overtime goal against Canada.
“He’s a very special player,” said J.T. Miller, the New York Rangers captain who won gold with Hughes on Team USA.
Miller knew Quinn Hughes from their days together on the Vancouver Canucks and got to know Jack in Milan.
“I have a lot of respect for him as a player. Now, I have more respect for him as a person,” Miller said. “I spent a lot of time with him over there. He’s got a great heart. He loves America and loves his team.”
In his first 12 games with the Devils after the Olympics, Hughes had 19 points (six goals, 13 assists), helping New Jersey to seven wins. But his team noticed something had changed for Hughes attitudinally.
“I think he’s definitely sure of himself and maybe a bit more assertive in the way he feels that we should play,” said Connor Brown, Hughes’ linemate. “He’s a leader in this room. I think when you have a guy like that, it can be inspiring down the lineup. And I think that’s kind of what you’re seeing.”
Hughes was surrounded by stars, leaders and captains on Team USA. He said the experience had a considerable impact on him.
“I know I’m a great leader in my own right, but when you get to pick people’s brains, you want to bring it back here and just establish that in our room,” he said.
Keefe acknowledged that Hughes has been more vocal and assertive after the Olympics. Keefe has been most impressed with how his young star handled the most surreal month of his life.
“He went through a gauntlet when he came back here from the Olympics in terms of our schedule combined with his media obligations that he fulfilled, but he still really helped get our team feeling good and rolling,” Keefe said. “Capitalizing on that good energy that he brought back.”
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Jack Hughes lights the lamp
Jack Hughes tallies goal vs. Rangers
No matter what Hughes does down the stretch, the Devils are likely in another lost season — as of Sunday, they had a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs, per Money Puck. He has appeared in the playoffs once during his seven-year NHL career, having missed their series against the Carolina Hurricanes last postseason because of injury.
His pro career has been defined by incredible offensive achievement — his 0.98 points-per-game average ranks 19th among active players (min. 400 games) — and unfortunately, an unending parade of injuries, as Hughes has played over 70 games just once in his career.
“He’s an unbelievable player. He’s had a lot of adversity these past couple of years,” Luke Hughes said.
The “golden goal” gave Jack Hughes a lot of things — some wanted, some unwanted — but perhaps most of all, it gave him something his career needed badly: a win.
“I feel like pro sports are so funny. People are so hot on you and then they’re so cold on you. It’s like the constant game where they’re all about you, then they’re off on you, then they’re back on you. Obviously, I’ve had some big years. Then, I’ve had a bunch of injuries,” Hughes said.
“A gold medal, in general, just establishes you as a winner. So, for every guy on our team to win, it just changes USA Hockey. And then, on a personal note, I’m on the fourth line. I have to play through things — different role, different minutes. I’m only playing 10 minutes a night and still having to find a way to produce and do my thing. So, looking back at that whole experience, if I just look at what I’m most proud of for myself, what I did with what I was given. The amount I accomplished is something I’m proud of.”
