Jack Hughes reflects on newfound fame since Olympics, including support from rival fans

Jack Hughes was already 1 of the faces of the National Hockey League, but successful caller weeks, he's been 1 of the faces of the United States.

The New Jersey Devils star, minutes aft losing teeth to a precocious stick, scored the game-winning overtime extremity against Canada to springiness the United States its archetypal golden medal successful men's hockey since the "Miracle connected Ice" squad successful 1980.

The photograph of Hughes, bloodied without immoderate teeth with an American emblem draped implicit his shoulders, has rapidly go historic.

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Jack Hughes of United States celebrates with his nationalist emblem aft scoring their 2nd extremity successful overtime to triumph golden connected Feb. 22, 2026. (REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)

Hughes was 1 of respective members of that squad to enactment successful Miami to observe their triumph earlier heading to Washington, D.C., to conscionable with President Donald Trump and be the State of the Union.

In the days after, Hughes made his NHL instrumentality and got a rousing ovation some successful beforehand of his New Jersey faithful and connected the roadworthy against the Pittsburgh Penguins and adjacent appeared connected "Saturday Night Live."

It's rather the alteration successful fame for Hughes, who has besides seen his societal media followers skyrocket — though possibly his each but confirmed narration with Tate McRae has added to that.

Making an quality astatine a New York Raising Cane's with Women's Olympic MVP and golden medalist Caroline Harvey to enactment a shift, Hughes said his newfound nationwide fame is "honestly, not that wild." But it's nary concealed that it's surely different.

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils looks connected during a crippled betwixt the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils astatine Prudential Center connected March 7, 2026, successful Newark, New Jersey.  (Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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"Obviously, since we’ve travel backmost to the U.S., you consciousness the love, radical are inactive pumped for us. All the radical successful the streets, they’re similar "Thank you." They’re truthful fired up. That’s the champion happening for america to hear. That’s the champion portion coming home," Hughes said successful Times Square.

The Raising Cane's quality was successful force territory, conscionable astir 12 blocks distant from his archrival New York Rangers' location arena successful Madison Square Garden. But adjacent walking the streets of New York and northbound Jersey, wherever galore Rangers fans reside, Hughes said he's getting emotion from their fans.

"Even Rangers fans, they support coming up to maine like, ‘I’m a diehard Rangers fan, but I’m having a hard clip not rooting for you.’ I cognize that’s a large instrumentality basal too. Just each arrogant Americans," Hughes said.

The aureate extremity is adjacent sparing Rangers fans, somewhat. Over the weekend, Hughes recorded a chapeau instrumentality against the Blueshirts successful New Jersey, prompting the Devils assemblage to interruption retired into U-S-A chants.

Jack Hughes works a "shift" astatine Raising Cane's to observe his Olympic golden medal. (Raising Cane's)

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"That was good. One of my teammates said I ruined the Devils enactment due to the fact that they’re skipping Devils chants, they spell close to 'U-S-A' now," Hughes joked. "That was cool, man, obviously, successful New Jersey, my fans person been truthful pumped up for maine and themselves that we won gold."

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