Team USA hockey star 'fired up' to represent Stars and Stripes in Olympics: 'Where you want to be'

Jack Hughes has worn a USA jersey earlier — but adjacent period volition beryllium a full antithetic level.

The New Jersey Devils superstar was portion of the U.S. National Development Program Team from 2017 done becoming the archetypal wide prime successful 2019. During that time, helium played successful galore planetary tournaments, including the 2019 World Juniors, and past year, helium was portion of the 4 Nations tournament.

Last year, Hughes said, was a "pretty brainsick buildup," but the fig of nations successful adjacent year's combat for Olympic golden volition scope 12, making it a existent planetary competition.

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Jack Hughes of Team United States warms up earlier the 4 Nations Face-Off Championship crippled betwixt Team Canada and Team United States astatine TD Garden connected Feb. 20, 2025 successful Boston, Massachusetts.  (Ben Jackson/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

"I haven't played planetary play really, since 2019 successful the World Juniors. So to beryllium capable to play successful the Olympics, I mean, that's the biggest signifier too, truthful conscionable truly excited and thing I'm looking guardant to," Hughes said to Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

The United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden took portion successful the tourney past year, which was the archetypal clip planetary hockey featured best-on-best contention since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

For Hughes, it was a full antithetic marque of the sport.

"Just however competitory and however amusive the games were. I mean, you got the champion players successful the world, each successful 1 game, there's lone 1 puck. It's conscionable crazy," Hughes said.

"Like, it's brainsick however accelerated those games were and however skilled they were and however the littlest plays tin marque a immense difference, oregon a small mistake tin unfastened things up for the different team. So yeah, it'll beryllium interesting. Like, we mightiness not adjacent play Canada erstwhile we're implicit there, but, you know, those games against Canada successful 4 Nations were truthful amusive to beryllium a portion of, and I'm definite the Olympic Games volition beryllium conscionable arsenic good."

And, astatine the hazard of being corny, Hughes whitethorn conscionable ticker "Miracle" portion successful Milan to get the patriotic juices flowing.

Jack Hughes of the United States stands connected the bluish enactment arsenic the American emblem is raised pursuing a 3-1 quarter-final crippled triumph versus the Czech Republic astatine the IIHF World Junior Championships astatine the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre connected Jan. 2, 2019 successful Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.   (Kevin Light/Getty Images)

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"I’d accidental each azygous subordinate grew up watching the Miracle connected Ice. That's similar erstwhile radical inquire maine what are my Olympic memories, the archetypal happening I accidental is increasing up and watching "Miracle," it's a legendary movie. When you deliberation of Olympics, you deliberation of that, and that's wherever you privation to beryllium a portion of."

The Olympics, though, contiguous a challenge. Hughes and his Devils are successful the heavy of a playoff push, each portion Team USA drops the puck successful astir 3 weeks. It’s already a play afloat of precocious nights and agelong travel, and the Olympics, for the archetypal clip successful 12 years, are putting that connected NHL players. But with Mucinex Kickstart, Hughes has been capable to enactment successful apical signifier for the Devils and hopes to bash truthful for the United States.

"When I was tally down (earlier successful the season), I got immoderate Mucinex Kickstart successful maine to effort to consciousness amended and cogwheel up to consciousness bully capable to play. Honestly, you're traveling truthful much, you're connected the move, precocious nights and stuff, so, trying to conscionable get your remainder and consciousness good. And erstwhile you are feeling nether the weather, you conscionable instrumentality the supplements and effort to consciousness better," Hughes said.

It volition besides surely beryllium a whirlwind of emotions and unit from present until April (hopefully June, for Hughes' sake).

"You don't privation to place the play astatine all, due to the fact that you inactive person 3 weeks to a period earlier we tin we caput implicit to the Olympics. It's a small spot of like, you person this looming happening coming successful the Olympics, it’s specified an breathtaking time, and you're truthful excited to beryllium a portion of that. But you can't look past your NHL schedule, due to the fact that that's the astir important thing," Hughes said. "And, you know, with New Jersey, we're trying to find wins and triumph hockey games, commencement to play a small spot better. 

Jack Hughes of Team United States skates connected the forecheck during the 2nd play of the 4 Nations Face-Off betwixt Team Sweden and Team United States astatine TD Garden connected Feb. 17, 2025 successful Boston, Massachusetts.   (Brian Babineau/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)

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"So the adjacent mates weeks are ace important for the remainder of our year. We got to truly excavation successful the adjacent 3 weeks earlier we caput disconnected to interruption successful the Olympics, but I deliberation it's each truly exciting. You get to play successful the NHL and past connected apical of that, you get a pause, and past we get to spell play successful the Olympics, and past we travel back, and we person a brainsick playoff push. So it should beryllium a brainsick amusive adjacent mates months."

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