Devils Jack Hughes Silences Critics; Becomes America’s Hero
· Yahoo Sports
New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes scored the golden goal to propel Team USA over Canada in overtime on Sunday in a 2-1 victory. Any criticisms he faced before the Olympic’s are officially dead.
Leading up to the break, Hughes missed the final three games with a lower-body injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe labeled him day-to-day after he became injured on January 29th when the Devils hosted the Nashville Predators.
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At that point, when a player is labeled as such, the decision typically falls on the player when they feel comfortable to re-enter the lineup.
Brad Marchand found himself in a similar position with the Florida Panthers. Whereas Hughes remained out for the final three games before the break, Marchand played for the Panthers knowing Florida’s season is on the line, and then still represented Canada in the following weeks.
Couple that with some underwhelming results for New Jersey as their 2025-26 season withered away, Hughes not looking like himself returning from injury, and then was labeled as 100% for the start of the Olympic camps with Team USA, the optics didn’t look good.
Thus, a plethora of criticism followed for the Devils forward who started the Olympics on USA’s fourth line, with a ton on the line for the 24-year-old.
Jack’s brother, Quinn Hughes, let us all know that was a crock.
“Yeah, people don’t know shit. There’s a bunch of idiots out there and no one’s rehabbed before, you know?” Quinn said. “There’s reporters out there saying this and that. They don’t know what it’s like to get surgery for six months, not really feel good for 10 months, and do that back to back. For him to just persevere and keep believing and just keep going no matter what happens, he’s a special guy, special player.”
Hand up, I was one of those critics.
Boy, oh boy, the critics were wrong.
You see, Hughes never wanted to be the next Patrick Kane. He wants the kids to want to be like Jack Hughes.
He’s the kind of player people pay to see play. He’s also the kind of player that unintentionally coined “instagram hockey,” which turned out to be quite the compliment. All the kids in New Jersey wore his sweater before.
And now, throughout the United States of America, there’s sure to be more sales.
Hughes going to the Olympics was vital for his career moving forward. At the games in Milan, he established himself as one of the most electrifying, dynamic forwards out there.
His four goals for the USA led the team. He scored over a point per game with seven points in six contests.
And the golden goal on the grandest stage and against the most formidable opponent there is in hockey established Jack Hughes as a big-game player.
The last time the United States took hime gold it was 1980. Because of Hughes—and the incredible goaltending by Connor Hellebuyck—the U.S. is back on top of hockey’s mountain.
Hughes is an American hero. He forever has a claim to fame that most can only dream of. Hughes earned the mantra of “superstar” on Sunday and no one can take that away from him.
Now, it’s time for him to bring that game back with him to New Jersey for the Devils.
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