Jack Hughes delivered a golden moment for Team USA on Sunday, scoring the game-winning goal in overtime to secure the men’s hockey team’s first Olympic gold medal since 1980.
The New Jersey Devils star center, who previously scored twice in Team USA’s semifinal victory, slipped the puck past Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington at 1:41 of the extra period, giving the Americans a thrilling 2-1 win.
“This is all about our country right now. I love the USA,” Hughes told NBC after the game.
The win ended a 46-year Olympic drought for the United States, which last claimed gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics with the famed “Miracle on Ice” team. The U.S. Also won gold in 1960.
“He’s a freaking gamer,” said Quinn Hughes, Jack’s older brother and a teammate on the U.S. Squad, according to The Athletic. “He’s always been a gamer. Just mentally tough, been through a lot, loves the game. American hero.”
Quinn Hughes, a defenseman for the Minnesota Wild and former captain of the Vancouver Canucks who earned the NHL’s top defenseman award in 2024, was also recognized for his performance in the tournament, being named the best defender by the International Ice Hockey Federation after scoring an overtime goal to propel the US team into the semifinals.
Jeremy Swayman, the Boston Bruins goaltender and the third Jewish member of the US team, secured a win in his one appearance, a 2-1 preliminary-round victory over Denmark on February 14.
The Hughes family – completed by youngest brother Luke, also a forward for the Devils – has established itself as a prominent name in Jewish hockey. They are the first American family to have three sons selected in the first round of the NHL draft and Jack became the first Jewish player ever drafted No. 1 overall. The brothers also made history as the first Jewish trio to play in the same NHL game and the first brothers to grace the cover of EA Sports’ popular hockey video game.
Jack, who had a bar mitzvah, has spoken about his family’s tradition of celebrating Passover. Their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, herself a former U.S. Women’s hockey player who competed at the 1992 Women’s World Championships and served as a coach for the gold-medal-winning women’s team in Milan, is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Hughes’ golden goal sparked an outpouring of Jewish pride on social media, with one user declaring it “the greatest Jewish sports moment of all time.” The Hockey News tweeted that Hughes was “the first player in hockey history to have a Bar Mitzvah and a Golden Goal! Pretty cool!”
Jewish organizations and leaders also joined in the celebration. “Special shout out to @jhugh86 on scoring the game-winning goal!” tweeted Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. “Beyond his incredible skill on the ice, Jack makes history as a proud representative of the American Jewish community, reminding us that the Jewish people are interwoven into America in her 250th year! Mazel Tov, Jack!”
