Last week, New Jersey Devils superstar Jack Hughes was honored by Time Magazine. He was named one of the “100 Most Influential People In Sports For 2026 [https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/jack-hughes/]”. Of course, Jack Hughes is one of the best forwards in the National Hockey League. He has 168 goals and 260 assists for 428 points in 429 games. After a slow start to his career in terms of points, he has made up all of that ground to be a career point-per-game player. With that said, the reason that Jack received this honor from Time Magazine is because of his “Golden Goal” at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. This goal won the Gold Medal for Team USA for the first time since 1980, the famous “Miracle on Ice”. After Hughes took the chance by poking the puck up the ice in his defensive zone, he then accepted a pass back from Zach Werenski and rifled it past Jordan Binnington for the biggest goal of his life. He became a new player with even more fame as a result. After the goal was scored, the celebration began for the team and the nation. From American flags to exploding beverages, the party was on. "The image of Hughes, American flag draped over his shoulders, fist up, bloodied, smiling, and missing two choppers, will endure." Time Magazine said [https://time.com/collection/time100-sports/2026/jack-hughes/] of the Devils’ superstar. Before the tournament began, there was a discussion about how Hughes would be deployed. Due to a mediocre performance at the 4-Nations Face-Off one year prior, he was labeled as a fourth liner or even a 13th forward coming in. He quickly regained the trust of Mike Sullivan and the coaching staff, and he rewarded them time and time again throughout, including overtime of the Gold Medal Game. Jack got to experience this whole thing with his brother, Minnesota Wild superstar Quinn Hughes, which adds to the story's charm. He also plays with his brother Luke Hughes on the New Jersey Devils. Hockey is a family affair for the three of them. Between hits on late-night television, off-ice endorsements, and this honor in Time Magazine, it is clear that his level of stardom has reached a new level. If he can stay healthy in the future, he has what it takes to lead a team to success. A Stanley Cup would certainly add another infinity stone to his potential Hall of Fame resume. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/33ce00c8-5a60-4fb2-b0ed-e7aff66da6cf.jpeg] Visit The Hockey News New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils]team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
