The men's hockey tournament in the 2026 Winter Olympics has officially entered the single-elimination phase, meaning any loss by a team will end their hopes of winning a gold medal. For Team USA, New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes is looking to win gold in his first-ever Olympics alongside his older brother and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes. But the one member of the Hughes family who isn't part of Team USA is Luke, the young Devils defenseman. Luke is only 22 years old, and the United States' defensive core is pretty stacked, so there wasn't much room for him.
But Quinn envisions Luke joining he and Jack in the Oympics in the future.
Prior to making the trip to Milan, Italy, Quinn was interviewed by 10 Tampa Bay News, and was asked about Luke's future Olympics hopes after missing out on qualifying for Team USA. Quinn expressed confidence that Luke will make the roster for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps.
"He's 22, so he's doing great, he's playing great, and if he stays on the yellow brick road, I think he should be there in four years," said Quinn.
Luke Hughes' future Olympics hopes given major push by older brother Quinn
A Hughes family reunion is just not meant to be, presently.
The dream of Devils fans was that all three Hughes brothers could all be on the same team. Jack certainly fanned the flames by hyping up the potential family reunion this past offseason. That hope was dashed, albeit briefly, after the Vancouver Canucks traded Quinn to the Wild last December in a blockbuster trade. Given that the Wild are one of the top teams in the Western Conference, he is not going anywhere for the remainder of his contract, which runs out after the 2026-27 season.
For Luke, he is locked in in New Jersey alongside Jack after signing a lucrative seven-year, $63 million contract extension. Luke still has room for growth, especially defensively, given his young age. But as of now, he is an offensive defenseman much like Erik Karlsson. Given his relative inexperience, and the likes of Quinn, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, and Zach Werenski being available for Team USA, there wasn't much room for Luke. After all, defensemen like Adam Fox of the New York Rangers and Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens were left off the roster as well.
Even if Luke did make the cut, there would have been uncertainty, as he's currently on the long term injured reserve list due to a shoulder injury. But a recent update indicated that Luke could be back for the Devils not too long after the NHL returns from the Olympics.
Four years is plenty of time for Luke to refine his game and improve. If he does so, he could very well be a lock to make Team USA for their trip to France. But as of now, it must sting for Luke to see Quinn and Jack competing for the chance to win the United States' first gold medal in men's hockey since 1980. But Luke can use this as motivation to ensure he makes the trip to the Olympics next time around.,