At the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, the league unveiled the 4 Nations Face-Off as a stepping stone toward NHL players returning to the Winter Olympics. The biggest draw for Team USA was the chance to see the Hughes brothers and the Tkachuk brothers together — in hockey, talent often runs in the family.
While the Tkachuks got their moment, the Vancouver Canucks held Quinn Hughes out of the lineup, and he didn’t get to play alongside his brother Jack Hughes (New Jersey Devils). Two years later, at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics Games, thanks to the NHL's inclusion, Jack and Quinn Hughes will finally suit up together for Team USA.
The Hughes brothers at a glance
- Jack and Quinn Hughes are both on Team USA’s 2026 Olympic roster.
- It’s their first time as teammates since the 2019 World Juniors.
- Jack is currently projected on the fourth line; Quinn is on the top defensive pairing.
This will be the first time these two have been teammates since the 2019 World Junior Championships. They haven't played together since joining the NHL, and haven't even been teammates on an All-Star Team. (Jack was injured when they co-captained the 2024 All-Star Game, replaced by Swedish winger Jesper Bratt.)
Where the Hughes Brothers sit on the Team USA rosters
The initial lines show Jack on the fourth line, playing alongside Brock Nelson and J.T. Miller. That’s a surprise to many, as Jack played next to Auston Matthews for most of the 4 Nations tournament last year. But since a hand injury sidelined Jack for about five weeks (he returned in late December), he’s struggled with scoring.
It’s very possible that Mike Sullivan moves Jack up if he shows that he’s worked past the hand injury that derailed his season; he could move up on any line. He’s playing out of position, but the U.S. is pretty stacked with centers, so it makes sense to work Hughes on the wing.
Quinn Hughes is a different story. He’s the best defenseman on the U.S. team, and despite many thinking he would stick with his NHL partner Brock Faber, he’s started practices with superstar Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
If the pairing holds, Hughes and McAvoy have the potential to rank among the great international duos — Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger from the 2010 Olympics, Duncan Keith and Shea Weber from the 2014 Olympics, and Raymond Bourque and Larry Murphy at the 1987 Canada Cup. Quinn gets to showcase exactly the type of defenseman he can be, and it’s a big reason the Americans have a chance at the gold medal.
The Hughes brothers play a major role in Team USA's path to gold
The role of Quinn and Jack on Team USA is pretty apparent. They have the easiest path to gold when you look at their group pairing (Germany, Latvia, and Denmark), and the Americans should have each game taken care of by the start of the third period. Where the Hughes brothers really have to step up is in the knockout round.
Once the Americans start to take on teams like Sweden, Finland or Switzerland, they will have to avoid an upset. Quinn will spend the most time on the ice in those games, and he has to add more offense than allow on defense. That often isn’t a problem.
Meanwhile, Jack's fourth line has to keep things in front of them. Jack, Miller and Nelson would be a top line on most of these rosters, but they still have to understand they're considered the “weak” link right now. As long as they're winning their minutes and avoiding mistakes, they'll be en route to the gold medal game.
If Canada reaches the gold medal game, that's where each Hughes brother will play their biggest role. This is where a team is only as good as its weakest link. If that’s Jack Hughes, we have to hope that superstar Jack Hughes comes out to play. He’s still in there, even if his hand is still in a cast from November.
Is there another Hughes brother?
Luke Hughes, despite being a $9 million player, was not invited on the Olympic roster. Her had a rough season with the Devils, and he is out with a serious shoulder injury. He might be done for the season, but he’s trying to rehab and return after the Olympic break. The hope is that the next time the Winter Olympics take place, 2030 in the French Alps, all three Hughes brothers suit up for the Americans.