Who Are the Hughes Brothers? Inside USA Hockey's First Family
By the time Jack Hughes put the puck past Jordan Binnington in overtime Sunday night to score the golden goal, the Hughes family had already won one Olympic gold medal in Milan. Their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, helped coach the US women's team to a 2-1 gold medal victory over Canada on Thursday. Her sons Jack and Quinn watched from the stands. Three days later, they went out and played a game of musical chairs, hockey professional-style.
Who are the Hughes Brothers' Parents?
Jim Hughes played hockey in college before transitioning into coaching, eventually serving five years as the Toronto Maple Leafs' director of player development and later moving into the talent representation world as director of player development for CAA Hockey. Ellen Weinberg-Hughes was a three-sport athlete at the University of New Hampshire — soccer, lacrosse and hockey — who went on to win silver at the 1992 IIHF Women's World Championships. Women's hockey didn't debut at the Olympics until 1998, just after her playing days ended. She later worked as a broadcaster before stepping away from TV in 2009 when Jim's career demanded the family's full attention.
Quinn and Jack were both born in Orlando, Florida, while Jim was an assistant coach for the Solar Bears. Luke was born in 2003. The family eventually settled in Mississauga, Ontario, where the boys grew up on Canadian ice — though they never lost their American eligibility, ultimately moving to Michigan when the oldest boys were in high school.
Three Brothers, Three First-Round Picks
If carrying a tune was engrained in the Jackson family, skating and slapshots define The Hughes family. They are the only American family to have three brothers selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Quinn went seventh overall to the Vancouver Canucks in 2018 while Jack went first overall to the New Jersey Devils in 2019. Luke went fourth overall — also to the Devils, joining Jack in New Jersey — in 2021.
Quinn, now with the Minnesota Wild after a December trade, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2024 and was voted Best Defender of this Olympic tournament by the IIHF. Jack, the Devils' franchise center, set a team record with 99 points in 2022-23 and is now, after Sunday night, the most famous hockey player in the United States, toothless as he may now be. Luke, a defenseman like Quinn, made the all-rookie team in 2023-24 and trains alongside his brothers every summer in sessions that, by all accounts, are among the most competitive informal skates in hockey.
What About Luke Hughes?
The natural question, with Jack and Quinn in Milan, is why Luke wasn't there too. In January 2026, Luke was placed on long-term injured reserve with a shoulder injury. He watched his brothers win gold from New Jersey.
"All Three of Us"
What made Milan singular wasn't just the gold medals — it was the simultaneity of it. Mother and sons, same building, same week, same jerseys. "Never in a million years did I think that I would be in Italy and have the opportunity to be a part of the women's Olympic team," Ellen told The New York Times. "And then to have two sons there, you just count your blessings."
Jack put it more simply. "It's pretty cool," he said, "all three of us can be a part of our first Olympics together."