Legendary Status | FEATURE

Jack Hughes was born for moments like this. And no one knows that better than his younger brother, Luke Hughes.

“He’s an unbelievable player. He’s a game-time player. He’s really clutch,” Luke said, beaming with pride, barely an hour after Jack buried the overtime winner for Olympic gold against Canada.

For Luke, this wasn’t surprising, though he did say he was 'in shock', seeing Jack score the biggest goal of his career. He’s seen that look in Jack’s eyes since they were kids, whether it was a driveway shootout or a playoff game. When the stakes rise, so does Jack. The bigger the moment, the bigger Jack desire becomes. Overtime. Gold medal on the line. Rival on the other bench. That’s when he’s at his most dangerous. Some players hope the spotlight finds someone else. Jack skates right into it.

"I don't even know what to say," Luke said, at a loss for words trying to digest the moment.

The phrase he would use most was: "I'm just so proud."

Luke walked into the locker room with a little extra bounce in his step. He had just hung up a FaceTime call with Jack, and with his older brother, Quinn, as the three of them soaked in the moment together. The gold medal was theirs, and the emotion of it all cracked through Luke’s voice.

“It’s such a proud moment,” Luke said. “Watching both my brothers win a gold medal, my mom win a gold medal. We kind of cleaned up. Just really happy for all three of them.”

The “mom” he’s talking about is Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who helped guide the women’s team to gold just two days earlier in an advisory role. It was a golden week for the Hughes family and USA Hockey, all capped off by Jack's overtime goal.

“Exceptional goal," Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe shared. "Exceptional moment. So happy for Jack. Once you get into 3-on-3, you know that it’s going to be tailor-made for him to have a big moment. Just tremendous.”

For Luke, watching it all unfold felt bigger than just the gold. He’s grown up chasing his older brother, competing with him, learning from him. So when Jack scored the history-making goal, Luke’s reaction said everything. It was pride, relief, and admiration all wrapped into one.

We were sitting right next to each other watching it in the lounge,” Brett Pesce said of Luke, who is also his stallmate. “I gave him a big hug. It was special to see his reaction of his brother scoring.”

To see his brother deliver in a moment like was special.

"I'm just so proud of him," Luke said. "I couldn't be more proud of my family."

For Luke, there certainly was disappointment that he wasn't able to be in Milan with his family, but he had the next best thing for the Gold Medal game. He was gathered in the players lounge at Prudential Center, flanked by his Devils teammates for the big game. Of course, no one knew how this one would play out. Tensions were high, and then, with a flick of his stick, Jack released a special celebration at Prudential Center.

"For me, I was just in shock," Luke laughed. "I was jumping up and down."

He understood, too, that this is an international locker room, not everyone was pulling for the U.S., but if it was going to end any other way for those cheering for the other nations in the tournament, it was with their teammate scoring a monumental goal.

"The American guys were jumping up and down," Luke said. "And, honestly, everyone was jumping up and down, but they said the only reason they were happy was because it was Jack."

“I think every player growing up has sometimes dreamed about scoring an OT goal at the Olympics, and now Jack has done that," fellow Olympian Jesper Bratt said. "That was really special to watch. Can’t imagine the feeling he’s having right now. Wow. What a moment.”

“What a game, we were all glued to the screen,” Brett Pesce said. “All our hearts were pumping; it felt like we were out there. It was crazy. But you know what? To see Jack go out and do that, it’s special and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

What was abundantly clear was not only how proud Jack's brother and teammates were of his goal, but how much respect they have for everything he's battled through to get to this moment. Over the past few years, he’s endured multiple shoulder surgeries, fought through the long, grueling rehab process more than once, and even dealt with a fluke finger injury in November that sidelined him at a time he was finding his rhythm. Each setback could have derailed him. But they didn't.

“I get to see it day-to-day, he’s been through a lot,” Luke said. “He’s a competitor, that’s just the type of person he is. He wants to win, he’s competitive, I’m just so proud of him and how mentally tough he is. A lot of people would fold and break, but he’s so strong. I’m just really proud of him.”

There were stretches where he wasn’t 100 percent. He didn’t make excuses. He didn’t look for sympathy. He just kept working. Teammates saw the hours behind the scenes, the rehab, the extra treatment, the frustration of wanting to contribute while he still wasn't quite ready. That kind of perseverance earns a room’s respect.

“Not everyone can do it,” Pesce said. “That guy, he’s faced a lot of adversity the past few years. No matter what it is, he’s going to play. Obviously, he hasn’t been playing healthy with us for a while, but he was out there competing with us, so that shows a lot about his character, the type of guy he is and how bad he wants to win and be there for his teammates. It is awesome to finally see him looking healthy, and he’s a game-changer. That’s what he is.”

Through it all, Jack Hughes has cemented himself not just as a star for the New Jersey Devils, but as one of the defining players of this era for USA Hockey. His goal delivered the first hockey gold medal in 46 years. He's a player whose resilience matches his talent. Nights like this only add to a growing legacy, one built not just on highlight-reel goals, but on perseverance, leadership, and an unrelenting drive to be out there when it matters most.

It was just another reminder of how lucky the New Jersey Devils are to have a talent like Jack Hughes. That when everything is on the line, there are very few players you’d rather have than Jack Hughes.

"He’s a USA Hockey legend for life now," American-born Pesce said. "Everyone will remember this."