Millions of kids across the country dream about what Jack Hughes did on Sunday morning. With the gold medal on the line, the puck came to Hughes’s stick with only him and the goalie facing off. Jordan Binnington was all that stood in the way of one of the top rewards in the sport. Luckily for Hughes, Binnington lifted his leg, and Hughes slid the puck underneath the five-hole to score.
Now, those millions of kids will be pretending to be Hughes forever. The 24-year-old New Jersey Devils star scored the Golden Goal in overtime, beating Canada and giving the United States its first gold medal in 46 years.
This is definitely a moment Jack Hughes dreamt about. Every superstar player visualizes those moments where the game is on the line, and they have a chance to score. More often than not, Hughes scores.
It turns out, this moment was on Hughes’s mind as early as his 2019 draft process. Prior to going number-one overall to the Devils, ESPN asked Hughes and a few other young athletes, like Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr., UFC fighter Johnny Walker, and the other American star from these Olympics, Alysa Liu, to write notes to their future selves.
One particular passage from Hughes’s note stands out after Sunday’s victory.
In 2019, before the NHL draft, ESPN asked Jack Hughes to write a letter to his future self.
— ESPN (@espn) February 23, 2026
Seven years later, one passage stands out 🇺🇸
Read Jack’s full letter to his older self here: https://t.co/MriOFDo5h1 pic.twitter.com/IBb8RDVAoA
Jack Hughes was built for the Golden Goal moment
This moment was undoubtedly made more special because the Hughes brothers were so integral to the success of Team USA. Many argue that Quinn Hughes should have won the Olympics MVP over Connor McDavid, and Hughes scored the deciding goal while leading his team in goals for the tournament.
The note shows how important his brothers are to him, and how long he’s been hoping to play alongside Quinn. Jack Hughes already got to play alongside Luke Hughes in the NHL, as his brother was drafted two years after he was by the Devils. We know there’s still a chance that Jack, Luke, and Quinn Hughes could eventually play together in the NHL, maybe with the Devils.
We also know that Luke Hughes is projected to grow into a defenseman good enough to make Team USA for the 2030 Winter Olympics in France. Interestingly enough, 2030 is when Jack Hughes is set to be a free agent. Will playing with all his brothers in the French Alps lead to a long-term agreement so he can achieve his goal of getting the brothers together once and for all? Only time will tell.