Who is Jack Hughes? Team USA golden goal scorer has won the hearts of Americans after Olympics

If determination is 1 photograph that epitomizes the existent explanation of blood, sweat, and tears, it's the 1 taken of Jack Hughes soon aft winning Olympic gold.

After scoring successful overtime against Canada to springiness the United States its archetypal Olympic golden since 1980, Hughes had an American emblem draped implicit his shoulder, with a bloody grin and missing teeth from a precocious instrumentality helium took to the look minutes earlier uncovering the backmost of the net.

It's go 1 of those photos that has infinite words, fto unsocial a thousand.

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Jack Hughes of Team United States celebrates aft their gold-medal triumph during the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026 successful Milan, Italy.  (Elsa/Getty Images)

Hughes' American glory did not travel by accident, however. Ever since helium was a teenager, Hughes was touted arsenic a prized imaginable connected the hockey rink.

Hughes was conscionable 17 years aged and a elder astatine the National Team Development Program (NTDP) erstwhile helium played for the American World Junior Championship squad successful 2019, a squad usually made up of assemblage stars. His 228 points astatine the NTDP, which features apical picks, All-Stars and aboriginal Hall of Famers arsenic alumni, stay a record.

Born successful Orlando, Florida, Hughes really grew up successful Toronto earlier his household moved to Michigan for the NTDP. Hughes' begetter is simply a erstwhile NHL adjunct coach, and his parent played for the women's nationalist squad and is present portion of its subordinate improvement program.

Gold medalists Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes of Team United States observe aft the Men's Gold Medal lucifer betwixt Canada and the United States connected time 16 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games astatine Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena connected Feb. 22, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Hughes' older brother, Quinn, scored an overtime extremity against Sweden to bring the U.S. to the semifinals, and his younger brother, Luke, is besides connected the Devils. There's been wide speculation that Quinn could articulation the Devils arsenic a escaped agent.

He parlayed his inferior hockey occurrence into becoming the No. 1 wide prime by the New Jersey Devils successful 2019 and jumped close into the NHL, forgoing college.

Hughes has made 2 All-Star Games and was besides connected past year's 4 Nations team. The lone happening stopping Hughes from going to the adjacent level has been injuries — helium adjacent missed clip with nervus harm earlier this play from what was dubbed a "freak accident" astatine a Chicago steakhouse.

Since breaking retired successful 2021-22, though, Hughes has scored 135 goals and racked up 200 assists successful 287 games played.

United States' Jack Hughes (86) poses with teammates aft a men's crystal hockey golden medal crippled betwixt Canada and the United States astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics, successful Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026.  (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

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No goal, though, has ever been arsenic large arsenic the 1 helium scored connected Sunday, taking a walk and sneaking 1 past Canada's Jordan Binnington to bring location the golden and making him an American leader forever.

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