Hughes Brothers Hockey: Jack Hughes’ Overtime Goal Ends 46-Year U.S. Gold Drought

Jack Hughes delivered the golden goal in overtime on Sunday, Feb. 22, lifting Team USA to a 2-1 win over Canada in the Olympic men’s hockey gold-medal game at the Milan Cortina Games. The moment — part of a dramatic run that ended a 46-year U. S. Olympic gold drought — crystallizes the role of the Hughes family in international hockey and the high stakes of the tournament.

hughes brothers hockey: the goal that decided the gold-medal game

Hughes’ overtime tally completed a 2-1 victory over Canada and capped an evening in which Team USA withstood a barrage from Canada’s NHL superstars. The goal followed his two-goal performance in the semifinal win over Slovakia, underscoring his central offensive impact during the tournament. He also suffered a lost tooth after taking a high-sticking penalty on Sunday, a physical footnote to an otherwise defining night.

Jack Hughes’ NHL résumé and injury history

At 24 years old, Jack Hughes entered the Olympics as one of his nation’s premier playmakers. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and has compiled 387 points in 404 NHL games. Classified twice as an All-Star for his speed and playmaking instincts, Hughes has nevertheless missed time in every one of his seven NHL seasons because of injuries — a recurring constraint that has tempered his career trajectory even as he produced at the highest international level.

Family background: Orlando to Toronto to Michigan and elite development

Born in Orlando and raised in Toronto while his father, Jim, worked for the Maple Leafs, Hughes’ family relocated to Michigan when the brothers entered the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Both parents played hockey and later worked in player development. Their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played for the U. S. women’s national team and served as a consultant for the gold medal–winning American women’s hockey team at these Olympics.

Quinn and Luke Hughes’ different paths to the pros

Jack is the only one of the Hughes brothers who went straight to the NHL from junior ranks; Quinn and the younger brother Luke Hughes attended the University of Michigan before turning professional. Luke Hughes also plays for the New Jersey Devils, while Quinn is identified as the Wild defenseman. That divergence in routes — immediate jump to the NHL for Jack versus college development for his brothers — is a distinct feature of the family’s hockey story.

Teammate and family reactions

U. S. teammate Tage Thompson praised Hughes’ affinity for pressure moments, saying, “He is built for these moments. He loves the pressure, loves the spotlight. That is when he shines most. He is a gamer. He wants the puck on his stick at all times. ” Hughes reflected on the experience after the game in Italy, calling playing for his country among his best experiences and describing the gold as “an unbelievable moment” in the effort to break the long drought.

Quinn Hughes called watching his brother’s golden goal “extra special, ” adding, “He’s an animal. He just kept going, mentally tough.... No one loves the game more than him. He’s got so much passion. He’s a gamer. He made it happen. ” Those reactions framed the goal as both a family triumph and a national milestone.

Legacy, Minnesota contributions and historical echoes

Team USA’s victory ended a 46-year Olympic men’s hockey gold drought and drew comparisons to past American teams. Members of the original “Miracle on Ice” team expressed strong support for the current roster, nicknamed the “Surprise on Ice” team, which will return from the Milan Cortina Games with gold. Both American gold-medal teams achieved overtime wins against Canada, and both relied heavily on contributions from Minnesota players — a regional throughline that connected the two landmark results.

What makes this notable is the convergence of individual skill, family development and regional depth: Jack Hughes’ elite playmaking and speed produced decisive scores, years of injury interruptions framed those moments as hard-earned, and a web of Minnesota contributions and family involvement in U. S. hockey development underpinned the wider achievement.

Naila-Jean Meyers contributed reporting, and Ben Gotz is identified as the College/Women’s Sports Team Leader at the Minnesota Star Tribune.