Hughes Brothers Hockey: how hughes brothers hockey culminated in Jack Hughes’s Olympic golden goal
Jack Hughes’s overtime winner gave Team USA a 2-1 victory over Canada and ended a 46-year Olympic gold drought, a moment that has drawn fresh attention to hughes brothers hockey and the family path that produced three NHL players. The goal came Sunday, Feb. 22, and capped a tournament in which Hughes, 24, was central to the U. S. run.
How Jack Hughes finished the gold-medal game on Sunday, Feb. 22
Jack Hughes was the overtime hero in the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game on Sunday, Feb. 22, scoring the winning goal that made the final 2-1 over Canada and broke a 46-year gold drought for Team USA. He also lost a tooth taking a high-sticking penalty in that same game. Earlier in the tournament he had two goals in the semifinal victory over Slovakia, and teammates and commentators pointed to his ability to rise in pressure moments.
Hughes Brothers Hockey: family roots from Orlando to Michigan
Born in Orlando and raised in Toronto while their father, Jim, worked for the Maple Leafs, the Hughes family moved to Michigan when the brothers entered the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. Both parents had 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.
Different paths to the NHL: Jack went straight, Quinn and Luke chose college
Jack Hughes was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and is the only Hughes brother who went directly to the NHL. Quinn Hughes is a defenseman for the Wild, while younger brother Luke Hughes also plays for the Devils; both Quinn and Luke attended the University of Michigan before turning professional. Jack, now 24, has 387 points in 404 NHL games and is a two-time All-Star.
Injuries, international résumé and tournament form
Durability has been an issue for Jack: he has missed time in all seven of his NHL seasons because of injuries. Still, he has been a prominent international performer. He won a silver medal at the 2019 World Junior Championships and helped the United States finish second at the 4 Nations Face-Off the year before these Olympics. At the Milan Cortina Games he was described as tremendous for the U. S., delivering the two semifinal goals against Slovakia and finishing with the golden goal in the final.
Teammates, family and legacy reactions in Italy and beyond
U. S. teammate Tage Thompson praised Hughes’s temperament for the moment, 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. He wants to be the guy who makes the play. And he did. " After the game in Italy, Hughes said, "The best experiences I have are playing for my country... Playing to break the golden drought with this group of guys and for us to win gold here at the Olympics, just an unbelievable moment. "
Quinn Hughes called watching his younger brother score "extra special, " adding praise for Jack’s mental toughness and passion: "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. "
Observers also noted historic echoes: those from the "Miracle on Ice" team are fans of the new, gold-winning squad — sometimes called the "Surprise on Ice" team — and both gold-medal teams pulled off overtime victories over Canada with heavy contributions from Minnesota players.
Naila-Jean Meyers contributed reporting. Ben Gotz is the College/Women's Sports Team Leader.
