Captain America | FEATURE

Jack Hughes jogged down the tunnel and hopped onto the ice surface at Prudential Center to an uproar of applause from the faithful in the stands.

The crowd was filled with the usual Devils Black and Red jerseys. But filtered throughout the stands was Red, White and Blue, many featuring the nameplate of Hughes and the emblematic 86 on the back and USA scrawled across the front.

In the waning minutes of pre-game warmups Wednesday night – with the Buffalo Sabres having cleared their half of the ice – Hughes took a full-length lap around the ice as the fans cheered him loudly.

It was a hero’s welcome for a returning hero.

Just hours earlier, Hughes, 24, had arrived in the Garden State following a three-week journey that include winning a gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, a celebration in Miami and an attendance at the State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C.

“It's been obviously the best three days of my life, probably,” Hughes said following the game. “Had so much fun with this group of guys, and I'm sure everyone on this team probably wishes it was still going. But nice to get back into a routine and get back with my teammates (in New Jersey).”

As Hughes and his Devils teammates returned to the ice before the start of their contest against Buffalo, the Devils’ seven Olympians and two Olympic staffers were recognized on the big screen.  

Then, the screen went dark. And returned with a flashback to Sunday. The voice of Kenny Albert rang throughout the arena: “And now Jack Hughes pokes it around Makar. The United States with numbers. Back across it comes. Jack Hughes wins it! The Golden Goal for the United States!”

The Prudential Center exploded in euphoria as if the play had just played out live in front of them. All eyes were fixated above on Team USA celebrating its first Gold Medal since 1980 with a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada.

“I get goosebumps watching the video now just because the emotions are so raw, and it means so much to every single one of those guys,” Hughes said, “and we're all genuinely so happy for each other that we won.

“And I just remember the goalie (Jordan Binnington) shot out at me hard, so I couldn't see really the puck go in, and the puck didn't even shoot out of the net. It hid behind where the camera went. So, I just turned the corner, and I saw Dylan Larkin, first guy I saw, just sprinting up the ice, and I just couldn't believe it. And I was so proud of our group.”

Flashing across the big screen is the famous visage of Hughes from that game with a raised fist, a smile revealing freshly broken teeth and the American flag draped across his shoulders. Below in bold gold letters read: “MADE IN JERSEY.”

Devils public address announcer Adam Hamway introduced Jack Hughes to the crowd. He graciously made his way to the Buffalo bench to find Team USA teammate and fellow gold medal winner Tage Thompon. The two men, teammates just three days ago, skated to center ice under the cacophonous chants of “USA! USA!”

“It'll never be about one person, and it's always about the team and that group of guys,” Hughes said. “And to share that moment with Tage, I hope that when he has his first game in Buffalo, they do something for him, and I hope he's playing one of his American teammates, and he can do the same thing. So, it's all about the USA Hockey brotherhood and a team, and that's what we are. We're just such a team.”

A massive American flag began to unravel in the lower bowl of Prudential Center, consuming two entire sections. The Lynyrd Skynyrd “Free Bird” solo blaring through the sound system.

And then Hughes to the microphone to address the assembly.

“What’s up guys?” he said to a boisterous response. “I’m so proud and I’m so happy that the men’s and women’s USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America.” He paused. “You guys are making me emotional.”

“I’m so, so proud to represent the Devils organization,” he said through a broken voice while choking up. “I’m so proud to represent the great state of New Jersey, so proud. From the bottom of my heart, all my USA teammates, we just want to thank you guys for all the love and the support. We feel it. Thank you.”

A hint of a lisp could be heard in Hughes’ voice, the result of his missing teeth courtesy of a high stick from Canada’s Sam Bennett late in the third period of the Gold Medal Game. But how many teeth were casualties of the incident isn’t exactly known.

“I'd have to look in the mirror and add it up,” Hughes laughed. “Got a couple half teeth, a full tooth, so I don't know yet. I don't know the final number. I have to go see a dentist, though.”

Hughes lined up for the ceremonial opening faceoff with Thompson hunched over at his opposite. Behind the two men were children, wearing USA jerseys, from Pucks & Pages, the reading program initiative spearheaded Jack and his brother Luke, New Jersey governor Mikie Sherill and first gentleman Jason Hedberg and HSBE managing partners David and Allison Blitzer.

David Blitzer dropped the puck to put the final touch on the pre-game ceremony. Hughes went down the line with fist bumps for the kids as the vocals of Steven Tyler belted out: “Dream on! Dream on! Dream until your dreams come true!”   

“But just to represent New Jersey, to represent our fans, I'm so proud to be a Devil,” Hughes said. “I'm so proud to play for the Blitzer family, the Harris family, the Fitzgeralds. These people, they mean so much to me. So, to represent them through all this, New Jersey means so much to me.”

Hughes was drafted by the Devils with the first-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Since that time, he’s built his career and life in New Jersey. He’s become the embodiment of a Devil and a New Jerseyan.

“I really do love living in New Jersey, playing in New Jersey,” he said. “I think early on, I don't know, for some reason, when I got drafted here, obviously, I'm their first-overall pick, and I'm an American kid, but I just feel like they accepted me so deeply, and I feel like I'm their guy. I'm their guy.

“I come to these games, and I'm driving in. Every time I drive in, all I think about is when I see people walking at 4:30 p.m. with Hughes jerseys on, unrolling my window and screaming at them, and they love that.”

Hughes represented the Devils organization and the state of New Jersey on the world stage in the Olympics. He also represented his entire country.

“Representing your country is the best, and this is something that you dream of, but when it happens, you can't even describe what it feels like,” he said. “And outside of the group of guys and everyone helping us out, it takes such a village to get each and every guy to that point, and we have so many friends and family supporting us. And then on top of that, so many great Americans that are so proud of us, so happy for us that we won, and it’s just unbelievable.”

Hughes has scored a lot of goals in his hockey career at all stages. But certainly, the Golden Goal will likely go down as his most iconic.

“It’s a ginormous deal for the country and for USA Hockey. So, I don't want to make it about myself,” he said. “But just the fact that I'm on a USA Hockey championship Olympic Gold Medal team, it changes all of our lives, all of our teammates. We're champions, and we're Olympic gold medalists, and we're the team that broke the run of not being able to win. So, to break that streak and win a gold medal, it bonds us forever as Olympic gold medalists.”

 Hughes will cherish the Golden Goal forever. But more so, he’ll forever remember the entire experience from the Olympics. Not just a single play.

“It's just a moment, right? It's an unbelievable moment of my life, but I'll never be the guy that's crazy about it, because it's all about the team,” he said. “And it's just such an unbelievable group of guys that we had, and I'm so looking forward to the times we're going to enjoy. Hopefully, every year, we get together and enjoy this moment.

“But for me, it'll never be about the Golden Goal. It'll always be about our three weeks at the Olympics and that we're champions and just what a special group it was. I've said it a million times, but I’m just so proud to be American and so happy that we could get the job done.”