MILAN — Jack Hughes finally had the chance to play with his younger brother Quinn on Team USA during the recent Four Nations tournament.
There had been talk earlier this season about Quinn being traded and the potential for him to join Jack on the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, an injury kept Quinn from participating in the Four Nations, and he ended up being traded to the Minnesota Wild. So, for both brothers, this was a special moment, as it marked their first opportunity to share the ice together in a competitive setting.
And really, what better stage than the Olympics?
“It’s a bit funny how we’re all sort of heading to the same place, piece by piece,” Jack remarked after Team USA’s convincing 5-1 victory over Latvia. “It’s interesting; we’re both forwards trying to get the puck in similar spots, even though he plays defense.”
“I wanted to play together with him all night. It’s just a blast to be able to give and go, to play off each other. I really hope we get to do a lot more of that.”
Both Jack and Quinn had standout performances. Quinn logged over 21 minutes on ice and made two assists, despite having a goal called back for offside early in the game. Jack, too, contributed with two assists, both of which went to his teammate Brock Nelson, and it was clear they had great chemistry.
Coach Mike Sullivan commented on Jack’s performance, saying, “He really gets it. Jack’s one of our top players, very dynamic offensively. He drove our offense effectively tonight.”
Interestingly, their brother Luke wasn’t in Milan with them.
Their mother, Ellen, is also involved with USA Hockey, serving on the women’s side as a player development consultant. Meanwhile, their father, Jim Hughes, directs player development for CAA, the agency that represents all three of the Hughes brothers.
2026 Winter Olympics
“It feels surreal,” Jack said, reflecting on their mother’s role with Team USA. “When we were kids, my dad traveled a lot for coaching, and my mom was the one who took us everywhere—games, outdoor rinks—and coached us. Just being here with Quinn at the Olympics, I feel lucky to share this moment with her.”
“Not everyone gets to say they’ve done that. It’s really something special.”
In contrast to many other teams in the tournament, particularly Sweden, the American squad opted to utilize a seventh defenseman, Noah Hanifin, and a 13th forward, Vincent Trocheck, quite heavily. Hanifin totaled 11:01 of ice time while Trocheck had 9:11.
“We believe we have real talent throughout our lineup,” Sullivan noted. “Maybe others might not view it that way, but we’re confident in every one of our players, so we feel good about utilizing the entire roster.”
