Jack Hughes will carry Olympic gold into Detroit on Tuesday when the New Jersey Devils visit the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena, but the medal has followed Team USA well beyond the rink. Hughes scored the overtime winner against Canada in Milan, and the summer that followed put him, his teammates and the program in a much bigger public spotlight.
The Devils center said the championship opened doors to people and experiences he had not expected, including opportunities to meet accomplished people outside hockey. In his view, the Olympics reach viewers who may not otherwise follow the NHL, and the 2026 U.S. team now has a lasting marker on every player’s resume.
Hughes and his brother Quinn, now a Minnesota Wild defenseman, spent July 6 at Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin’s White Party in the Hamptons. The guest list included Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Brady.
Later that month, the Hughes brothers walked Morgan Wallen into his July 25 show at Michigan Stadium. Wallen wore Quinn Hughes’ gold medal before playing for more than 75,000 fans. Jack Hughes called the moment one of the highlights of his offseason.
All three Hughes brothers also made a Sept. 6 visit to the U.S. Open, watching a night session from the Polo Ralph Lauren suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Luke Hughes, Jack’s Devils teammate on the blue line, joined his older brothers.
After the horn
For Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel, the medal became the central subject of every summer visit with friends and family. His wife, Natalie, even surprised him with a Fourth of July party built around the Olympic win, and Guentzel made sure the gold was available for everyone to see.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk found the reaction more personal. People repeatedly thanked him for what the team had done for the country, a response he said was humbling but uncomfortable because he views those serving and protecting the United States as the real heroes. Still, he said it was special to hear where fans had watched the tournament and how closely they had followed it.
Wild forward Matt Boldy noticed more attention around his Boston-area home. He said the Olympic run reached people who had not been regular hockey followers, and he believes the victory mattered to American youth hockey as well as the national team.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski expected the excitement to fade after the NHL season and Stanley Cup Playoffs resumed. The parties have slowed, but not the conversations in his hometown. He said strangers who once did not recognize him now want to discuss the gold-medal run.
The championship also changed the way Werenski views his own game. With Columbus having had limited recent playoff success, he had not often been in high-stakes games against the world’s best players. The 4 Nations Face-Off helped build his confidence, but the Olympic final against Canada — decided in overtime — gave him stronger proof that he can handle those minutes.
Werenski said those are the situations he wants: the puck on his stick, a chance to make a play and the responsibility of being on the ice when the game is on the line. He came away from Milan with greater confidence against elite competition.
Boldy’s takeaway was similarly internal. Being around the U.S. roster allowed him to measure himself against top players, learn their habits and see what drives their success. He felt the 4 Nations tournament had been an important introduction, while the Olympic victory pushed his belief in his own game another step forward.
Team USA coach Mike Sullivan, who also coaches the New York Rangers, said winning renewed his appreciation for the job and for the chance to represent the United States. He described victory as a powerful but temporary feeling, one that creates an appetite to reach the summit again. For Sullivan and the Rangers, that next summit is the Stanley Cup.
Hughes, 25, is already looking beyond the medal. A World Cup of Hockey title in 2028 and another Olympic run in 2030 are possible future targets, but his immediate motivation is simpler: he now knows the feeling of winning on the sport’s biggest stage and wants it again.
“You’ve achieved something that stays with you,” Hughes said of the Olympic title. “It was a dream for life, and winning at that level is the best feeling there is.”
Tuesday is one of only two days on the NHL calendar with all 32 clubs in action. ESPN’s Frozen Frenzy coverage will track the full slate, while three games air on the main network. Devils-Red Wings opens that coverage at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN and SN+.
