Who is Jack Hughes, Team USA's golden goal scorer?

Ben Gotz, The Minnesota Star Tribune on Feb 22, 2026

Published in Olympics

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Jack Hughes, Team USA’s overtime hero Sunday in a 2-1 win over Canada in the Olympic men’s hockey gold medal game, is more than just Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes’ younger brother.

Jack Hughes, 24, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft by the New Jersey Devils and has 387 points in 404 NHL games. He is the only Hughes brother who went right to the NHL, as Quinn and younger brother Luke Hughes (who also plays for the Devils) went to the University of Michigan before turning pro.

Born in Orlando, Fla., Hughes grew up in Toronto, where his father, Jim, worked for the Maple Leafs. The family moved to Michigan when the boys started with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Both of his parents were hockey players and later worked in player development. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played for the U.S. women’s national team and worked as a consultant for the gold medal-winning American women’s hockey team at these Olympics.

Jack Hughes is a two-time All Star thanks to his speed and playmaking instincts. The only thing that has held him back is his health, as he has missed time in all seven of his NHL seasons because of injuries.

Hughes was tremendous for the U.S. during the Olympics, however. He had two goals in Team USA’s victory over Slovakia in the semifinals. (He also lost a tooth taking a high-sticking penalty Sunday.)

“He is built for these moments,” U.S. teammate Tage Thompson said Sunday. “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.”

He’s no stranger to representing his country either. Hughes won silver at the 2019 World Junior Championships and helped the U.S. finish second at the 4 Nations Face-Off a year ago.

“The best experiences I have are playing for my country,” Hughes told reporters in Italy after Sunday’s game. “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.”

For Quinn, it was “extra special” to watch his brother score a golden goal in the Olympics.

“He’s an animal,” Quinn said of Jack. “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.”

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Naila-Jean Meyers of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed reporting.