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Jack Hughes walked so Jack Hughes could run.
The New Jersey Devils star is America’s hero after scoring the golden goal against Canada in Sunday’s Olympic final. It was the United States’ first gold medal since 1980, cementing the “Miracle on Ice.”
However, as the 2004 film “Miracle” has skyrocketed in recent weeks, fans have noticed a strange coincidence.
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Team USA hero Jack Hughes shares the name of a player who was cut from the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” team. (Grégory Shamus, Steve Babineau/Getty Images)
The film shows a player named Jack Hughes being cut from the 1980 Olympic team. Although many films based on true stories are dramatized, this actually happened.
Jack Hughes was a member of the US national team while playing for Harvard and qualified for the 1979 Olympics but was cut.
In another crazy coincidence, the elder Hughes played 46 games for the Colorado Rockies, who became the Devils.
The Devils left Colorado in 1982 after six seasons – they were previously the Kansas City Scouts from 1974 to 1976.
Jack Hughes (86) of the United States, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime, celebrates after beating Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Colorado’s hockey team is now the Avalanche, formerly the Quebec Nordiques from 1972 to 1995.
The two men are not related.
The new Jack Hughes lived up to his expectations as the No. 1 overall pick in 2019. Drafted by the Devils through the United States National Team Development Program, Hughes appeared in two All-Star Games and was also a part of the 4-Nation team last year. His older brother, Quinn, scored an overtime goal against Sweden to take the United States to the semifinals, and his younger brother, Luke, is also on the Devils. There has been widespread speculation that Quinn could join the Devils as a free agent.
The only thing that has kept Hughes from getting to the next level is injuries – he even missed time with nerve damage earlier this season following what was dubbed a “freak accident” at a Chicago steakhouse.
American Jack Hughes celebrates with his national flag after scoring his overtime goal to win gold on February 22, 2026. (Reuters/Alessandro Garofalo)
But now the whole world knows his name. And the one who preceded him.
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