Jack Hughes After Leading Team USA to Olympic Gold: ‘I Love the USA. I Love My Teammates’

Hughes expressed his sense of national pride and ‘American brotherhood,’ adding praise for goalie Connor Hellebuyck, ‘our best player tonight by a mile.’

Gold medalists Quinn Hughes (L) and Jack Hughes (R) of Team USA celebrate after the Men's Gold Medal match between Canada and the United States at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 22, 2026. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

U.S. hockey star Jack Hughes made Olympic history at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, celebrating not just a gold medal but the pride that comes with representing his country on the world stage.

The 24-year-old forward, who plays for the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, scored the sudden-death goal, leading Team USA to victory in overtime during the men’s hockey finals against Canada on Feb. 23.