Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes: quinn hughes’s winner lifts Team USA at Milan Cortina
Quinn Hughes delivered the game-winning goal that sent the United States into the semifinals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, a decisive moment that underscores why the Hughes brothers are central to Team USA’s run. Their play — and Jack Hughes’s scoring surge in the semifinal — leaves the Americans positioned for a medal-contending finish.
Olympic debut and family coaching legacy
Jack and Quinn Hughes made their Olympic debut as teammates on the U. S. men’s hockey team at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Their parents, Jim and Ellen Hughes, are both hockey coaches, and Ellen helped the U. S. women’s hockey team win gold. Jim and Ellen are also parents to son Luke Hughes, who plays on the New Jersey Devils alongside Jack, though Luke did not score a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Quinn Hughes’s quarterfinal winner and the ‘seeing ghosts’ chatter
Quinn Hughes scored the game-winning goal against Sweden in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, a goal that secured the U. S. men’s team a shot at playing for a medal as they advance to the semifinals. He had been originally named to the Team USA roster last year but withdrew because of a lower-body/oblique injury; this year he returned and made a decisive impact.
Known for his haunting, blank stares on the ice — which spawned memes about him seeing Victorian ghosts — Quinn addressed the wild theory earlier this week, saying, "I’m usually pretty zoned in on what’s going on with myself and trying to get ready to do what I need to do. Sometimes you hear some funny stuff out there [on the ice]. But yeah, as the people say, I’m usually seeing ghosts, so I’m usually focused on myself. "
Jack Hughes’s semifinal performance against Slovakia
In Milan, Jack Hughes was visibly urgent, slamming his stick on the ice during a U. S. power play. The Devils star had already scored his second goal of the tournament off an aggressive move in the prior period, then chased another chance when the puck ricocheted off the end boards and right to him; he buried it for a five-goal lead in Team USA’s eventual 6-2 win over Slovakia in the semifinals on Friday night.
Jack has three goals and three assists through six games and has steadily earned more responsibility. He began the tournament on the fourth line with Brock Nelson and J. T. Miller but moved up to the left wing of the third unit next to Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson. Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said the intention was to give Hughes more ice time so he could impact the game more.
Jack’s comeback, role change and Quinn’s praise
Asked whether he feels fully back after the myriad injuries he’s battled in recent years in the NHL, Jack said, "I’ve felt all the way back the last bunch of years. I don’t know, I’ve had a lot of injuries, but I’m a hockey player. I think I’ve been playing well. I know everyone doesn’t watch the Devils every single night, but I love where I’m at and I’ve always believed in myself. I know the player I am. " The 24-year-old’s shift up the lineup has been a major part of that resurgence.
Quinn praised his brother after the Slovakia game: "Yeah, I mean he’s an elite player. I feel like whenever he’s healthy he’s one of the best players in the world. Sometimes he doesn’t get enough credit for that. People forget what a great player he is. Really happy for him that he’s able to show it in this tournament. He’s very tough and competitive and is just happy to be here and accepted any role he could. I think in the second period, with the power plays and penalty kills he didn’t play a lot there, and he comes out and scores that goal and he’s ready to go no matter what. That’s just a testament to where his mentality is at right now. "
Drafts, college paths and recent NHL moves
The brothers’ paths to the Olympics reflect varied routes through hockey. The eldest Hughes brother played college hockey at the University of Michigan from 2017 to 2019, was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018 and finished out his season at Michigan before joining the NHL. Separately, a defenseman in the family was traded to the Minnesota Wild this past season.
The middle Hughes brother was picked first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and currently plays for the New Jersey Devils. He primarily plays forward but shifts to the wing at times, like he did during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. Unlike his brothers Quinn and Luke, who both skated for the University of Michigan, Jack did not play college hockey and instead went directly to the NHL.
Team USA’s run through the tournament
The Hughes brothers are helping lead a U. S. squad that is one of the top teams in the tournament this season, already defeating Latvia, Denmark, Germany and Sweden in the quarterfinals as they push toward Olympic medals in Milan Cortina.
