Jack Hughes was praised by home and away crowds as he scored a gold medal against Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
One day after receiving a hero’s welcome at Prudential Center, the New Jersey Devils star received a standing ovation from the usually hostile Pittsburgh Penguins crowd during his introduction Thursday.
Hughes contributed an assist and two shots, and the Penguins won 4-1.
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Hughes expects a similar welcome for at least the rest of the season, with the exception of the Devils’ trip to Canada. However, there is only one game left on the team’s regular season schedule, an April 5 game against the Montreal Canadiens.
It wasn’t until Sunday that Hughes went down in history by scoring the decisive goal in overtime of the gold medal game. The former NHL draft pick’s career has been up and down due to multiple injuries, one of which occurred shortly before the Olympics. He also lost two front teeth before scoring against Canada, which has become part of the brewing legend.
The time between Hughes’ gold medal win in Italy and his return to the Devils was a visit to the White House with teammates. President Donald Trump scoffed at jokes about the U.S. women’s gold medal as he addressed Congress and addressed his team during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
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Now the task is back to the Devils, who after Thursday’s loss sit in second-to-last place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 29-29-2.