Jack Hughes almost didn't get the chance to become an American hero.
Sitting in the penalty box late in the third period of Sunday's 1-1 gold-medal game against Canada, the superstar New Jersey Devils forward was more likely to lose the game to the United States than win the game for his country.
"I took my picture on a barstool [Sports] Like America hates that guy because Canada scores on the power play," Hughes said after the game. "I was saying 'Oh my God, it's here.'
"I'm glad we got out of the pickle I got us into."
Still, when Hughes' teammates picked him up, he made sure to return the favor by capping a big turnover at both ends of the rink with the game-winning goal at 1:39 of overtime in the United States' 2–1 overtime win over Canada at the Milan Santagiuliano Arena, sealing the USA's first gold medal since 1980.
Most Devils fans who were "done" with Jack Hughes before the tournament may need to placate them with a "sorry Jack" chant given the Lindy Ruff treatment during the 2022-23 season, especially if he uses his first Olympics as a springboard for the rest of this season and beyond.
Hughes finished with four goals and seven points and led the Americans in both categories. He tied with Nathan MacKinnon (Canada) and Juraj Slafkowski of Slovakia for the second-most goals among all players.
"I think Jack had a great tournament," USA coach Mike Sullivan said after the game. "The goals he scored were big-time goals. ... I think Jack was at the center of a lot of good things that happened for our team. He's a high-risk player. He played at his best when the stakes were highest."
Hughes proved his coach's point by scripting two elite plays that saved the Americans and allowed himself to cement his legacy in USA Hockey history.
defense on conor mcdavid
Hughes did not start overtime on the ice, but he left for the Americans' third shift of the extra session.
His first overtime job? Playing defense against the best player in the world.
That's Connor McDavid attacking Hughes and the US net with gusto. He took the puck from his linemate and broke free to Canadian star Maclin Celebrini at his own blue line.
"I came right off the bench," Hughes said, before addressing Sullivan, "You were probably liking it, right Sully?" McDavid is coming at me.
McDavid eats up even elite-level NHL defensemen in this kind of rush every night. He has 96 points in 58 games this season and is averaging 1.5 points per game for his decade-plus in the NHL and was named MVP of the tournament after leading the entire Olympic field with 13 points.
And in this game he's being defended by a 5-11, 175-pound forward.
"When the best player in the world — maybe ever — comes at you in overtime in the gold-medal game and you're on the forward, my first thought was 'I've got to gap up,'" Hughes said, "and I was like 'I can't gap up, he'll come right at me.'
Still, Hughes did what he needed to do to slow down McDavid and disrupt any potential scoring opportunities.
“He did a great job,” Sullivan said. "He recognized that he had no opportunity to pay attention to it. He just absorbed it. I think he did a great job defending her."
"I just dunked and hopefully he couldn't get around me because there wasn't enough space between me and the net," Hughes said. "Honestly that's what happened."
poke check on black makar
Hughes' second defensive play may be lost compared to McDavid's body and the golden goal. But his help in getting out of the defensive zone was no less important.
Hughes deflected the puck away from McDavid and took it into the back of the net before hitting the puck past USA defenseman Zach Werenski. But the forechecking McDavid put pressure on Werenski and he delivered a soft backhand pass to Hughes on the way out of the zone.
Still, the dark caper at the blue line – the defenseman's Connor McDavid – was in sight. Makar was named one of two defenders on the All-Olympic team, along with Jack's brother Quinn Hughes, as he had six points in six games and Canada's only goal in the gold medal game.
Werenski was breaking out of the USA defensive zone to make offensive plays. So if Makar intercepts the pass — or even makes a strong tip of it — McDavid is all alone on goalie Connor Hellebuyck and scores the OT winner for the second time in as many best-on-best tournaments.
Nevertheless, it was Hughes who managed to beat Makar and Werenski to create a three-on-one that ultimately led to his goal.
Finding and scoring cool ice
The puck went all the way into the USA offensive zone, where Werenski won the puck battle from Nathan MacKinnon. Dylan Larkin went to back up Werenski, while McDavid defended, and Hughes made a layup to get into prime scoring territory.
With Makar trailing in the game, Werenski found Hughes. Hughes beat Binnington with a snip between the pads, which certainly reminded Devils fans of what has made them one of the NHL's elite 3-on-3 overtime teams over the past three seasons.
Hughes' goal would change his life. Still, after scoring possibly the greatest goal in American hockey history, he was more focused on fulfilling a dream and doing the same with his USA Hockey brethren.
“We’re a great team,” Hughes said. "We wanted to go through Canada and beat them, and it could have gone either way tonight, but it's an incredible win for the Americans."
