Ellen Hughes: ellen hughes, Dallas roots and the family behind Olympic goals

Emerson Raymont

Published: February 23, 2026 12:52 PM ET

Ellen Hughes: ellen hughes, Dallas roots and the family behind Olympic goals

ellen hughes, known in full as Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, grew up in Dallas and is the mother of Jack and Quinn Hughes, who propelled the United States to Olympic men’s hockey gold at the 2026 tournament. For the first time since 1980, the United States secured an Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey on Sunday; Quinn provided a game-winning overtime goal in the quarterfinals against Sweden and Jack supplied the winning goal in the U. S. -Canada gold medal matchup.

Ellen Hughes's Dallas roots

Ellen Weinberg-Hughes grew up in Dallas and played hockey and soccer throughout her childhood there. In 1981, a 12-year-old Weinberg-Hughes was featured in a news story from KXAS-TV (NBC5) as she suited up for her Dallas youth hockey team. One of her hockey team’s coaches was her father, Dr. Warren A. Weinberg, and in that interview Weinberg-Hughes said, "It’s just a goal I want to reach. " She also was a standout at soccer and can be seen in the Dallas Sting team photo from the era.

Her youth sports and milestones

Weinberg-Hughes played for the Dallas Sting Soccer Club in the 1980s and was part of the team that captured worldwide attention in 1984 when it won the first FIFA-sanctioned world women’s tournament in Xi’an, China. That tournament played a key role in the development of the first women’s World Cup, which took place in 1991. Weinberg-Hughes later suited up at the University of New Hampshire from 1988-91 and continued to play multiple sports.

She ultimately played for the United States’ women hockey team and earned a silver medal at the 1992 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Finland. Weinberg-Hughes has said her best friend on the Sting Soccer Club was Carla Overbeck. Her husband, Jim, was also a hockey player who previously held a front-office role with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sons' goals secured Olympic gold

Throughout the 2026 Olympic tournament, the U. S. was propelled by brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes. Quinn provided a game-winning overtime goal as the U. S. defeated Sweden in the quarterfinals, while Jack provided the winning goal in the U. S. -Canada gold medal matchup. Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe shared his thoughts on Jack Hughes’s game-winning goal at the Olympics, and teammates and staff reacted to the family’s run at the Games.

Devils reactions at practice

Back with the New Jersey Devils after the extended Olympic break, Luke Hughes was back at practice today, and Sheldon Keefe discussed the return from the Olympic break and provided an update on Luke Hughes while outlining the plan as the team prepares to resume its NHL schedule. Brett Pesce shared his thoughts on Jack Hughes scoring the game-winning goal for the Americans. Jesper Bratt was back at practice after his time in Milan at the Olympics.

Former Devils captain Andy Greene hit the ice with his former team to help out at practice; it was described as a blast from the past as Greene suited up with the team. Dillon shared his thoughts on seeing Simon Nemec excel at the Olympics. Cody Glass discussed the upcoming return to play after the Olympic break. Jake Allen shared his thoughts on the upcoming final stretch of the season, and Connor Brown described what it’s like to be back after the extended Olympic break.

At team events, there was a look at the festivities from the Devils’ annual Sweep the Deck gala; Brodeur talked Canada’s goalies and Elias shared his "small pants" Olympic injury story. Arseny Gritsyuk toured Sweep the Deck for the first time with Amanda Stein.

Weinberg-Hughes's recent Olympic role

Weinberg-Hughes was busy throughout the Milan Cortina Olympic Games this winter: she served as a player development consultant for the U. S. women’s hockey team and got to celebrate the U. S. women’s gold medal a few days before her sons Jack and Quinn led the U. S. men’s team to victory. As fans and teammates reflected on the gold, the family’s multi-sport history from Dallas to college and international competition came into focus.

Across youth hockey, college competition from 1988-91, a 1992 IIHF silver medal in Finland, the 1984 Sting championship in Xi’an, China, and a role in Milan Cortina, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes’s history is tied closely to the recent achievements of Jack and Quinn Hughes and the Devils’ post-Olympic return.