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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 views 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. (Gregory Shamus, Steve Babineau/Getty Images)
The film shows a player named Jack Hughes being cut from the 1980 Olympic team. While many movies based on true stories are dramatized, this really happened.
Jack Hughes was a member of the United States national team while playing for Harvard and tried out for the Olympics in 1979, but was eliminated.
In another strange coincidence, Hughes’ father played 46 games for the Colorado Rockies, who became the Devils.
The Devils moved from Colorado in 1982 after six seasons; previously they were the Kansas City Scouts from 1974 to 1976.
Jack Hughes (86) of the United States, who scored the winning goal in overtime, celebrates after defeating 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, which was previously the Quebec Nordiques from 1972 to 1995.
The two men are not related.
New Jack Hughes has lived up to the hype as the first overall pick in 2019. Selected by the Devils out of the United States National Team Development Program, Hughes was a two-time All-Star and was also on last year’s 4 Nations team. His older brother, Quinn, scored an overtime goal against Sweden to lead the United States to the semifinals, and his younger brother, Luke, is also with the Devils. There has been a lot of speculation that Quinn could join the Devils as a free agent.
The only thing that has kept Hughes from moving to the next level has been injuries; he even missed time with nerve damage earlier this season in what was called a “freak accident” at a Chicago steakhouse.
Jack Hughes of the United States celebrates with his national flag after scoring his second goal in overtime to win gold on February 22, 2026. (REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo)
But now everyone knows his name. And the one who came before him.
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