Quinn Hughes’ Quarterfinal Winner and Jack Hughes’ Semifinal Spark Put Team USA in Olympic Medal Hunt
quinn hughes scored the decisive goal that sent the United States into the Olympic semifinals, and his brother Jack Hughes followed with a multi-point performance as Team USA beat Slovakia 6-2 to reach the medal round in Milan Cortina 2026. The brothers’ contributions have helped the Americans emerge as one of the tournament’s top teams at a pivotal moment.
Quinn Hughes’ Game-Winner Against Sweden
Quinn Hughes, who had withdrawn from last year’s Team USA roster because of a lower-body/oblique injury, returned this tournament and produced the quarterfinal-winning goal against Sweden on Wednesday that secured a shot at a medal. Teammates and observers noted the immediate impact of his return; Jack called the strike a massive moment and praised Quinn as one of the team’s best players for taking over and winning that game.
Jack Hughes in Milan Semifinal vs Slovakia
Jack Hughes, the middle Hughes brother who was selected first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and now skates with the New Jersey Devils, continued his hot stretch in Friday’s semifinal. The 24-year-old had already scored his second goal of the tournament earlier in the game and then, after slamming his stick on the ice during a U. S. power play, demanded the puck; a ricochet off the end boards found him and he buried it to put the Americans up by five in the eventual 6-2 victory over Slovakia. Through six games, Jack has three goals and three assists.
Team USA and Mike Sullivan’s Line Changes
Jack began the tournament on the fourth line with Brock Nelson and J. T. Miller, then moved to the left wing of the third unit alongside Dylan Larkin and Tage Thompson. Head coach Mike Sullivan said the intent of that shift was to give Jack more ice time so he could impact games more — a change that has delivered measurable results. The move represented a 180-degree turn from a disappointing 4 Nations tournament in which Jack recorded one assist in four games and was largely neutralized in a very physical slate.
Hughes Family Background and NHL Paths
Hockey runs in the Hughes family. Parents Jim and Ellen Hughes are both coaches, and Ellen helped the U. S. women’s hockey team win gold. The family includes three hockey-playing sons: Jack, Quinn and Luke. Jack and Luke both have ties to the University of Michigan: unlike Jack, who went straight to the NHL rather than playing college hockey, Quinn and Luke skated for Michigan. The context lists that the eldest Hughes brother played at Michigan from 2017 to 2019, was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018, finished that season at Michigan before joining the NHL, and that the defenseman was traded to the Minnesota Wild this past season. Luke plays alongside Jack on the New Jersey Devils but did not earn a spot on the 2026 Olympic roster.
On-Ice Style, Public Reaction and Player Remarks
Quinn has drawn attention for his intense, blank on-ice expression — a motif that spawned memes about him seeing Victorian ghosts. He addressed that line of commentary in remarks to the Boston Globe, saying he’s usually zoned in, focused on preparing himself and sometimes hears funny commentary from the stands. Jack, for his part, reflected on injuries he has battled in recent years, saying he has felt all the way back "the last bunch of years, " that he has had a lot of injuries, and that he loves where he is and has always believed in himself. Quinn also praised Jack after the semifinal, calling him an elite player when healthy, noting his competitiveness and willingness to accept any role, and pointing to Jack’s mentality when he comes out and scores despite limited time on special teams.
What makes this notable is the tandem effect: Quinn’s return from injury produced a knockout quarterfinal moment, and Jack’s line promotion and scoring in the semifinal have combined to push Team USA into position for a medal. The Americans enter the final phase of the tournament having previously beaten Latvia, Denmark, Germany and Sweden in the quarterfinals as they chase Olympic hardware in Milan Cortina.
