Milan, Italy – The 2026 Winter Olympics are showcasing a remarkable display of familial athletic prowess, with brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes representing the United States in men’s ice hockey, while their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, serves as a development coach for the U.S. Women’s hockey team. The Hughes family’s sporting achievements extend beyond the ice, as their brother, Luke Hughes, currently plays in the NFL.
Jack, 24, a center and forward for the New Jersey Devils, was the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He told The Michael Kay Show that being an athlete is “in my blood.” Quinn, 26, a defenseman, recently joined the Minnesota Wild after a trade from the Vancouver Canucks. The Hughes brothers are making their Olympic debuts together in Milan, a moment Jack described to Vogue as “super special.”
The family’s athletic background is deeply rooted. Their father, Jim Hughes, is a former hockey player who held the position of director of player development with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He now serves as the director of player development for CAA. According to Jack, his father’s coaching insights were imparted from a young age, stating, “The things he was telling 20-year-old prospects, he was telling to us when we were 12.”
Ellen Weinberg-Hughes’s influence is credited with fostering her sons’ athletic pursuits. Jim Hughes stated in a 2018 interview that they anticipated their children would be involved in competitive sports, and Ellen introduced them to skating at a young age. Ellen herself is a decorated athlete, having played for Team USA at the 1992 IIHF World Women’s Hockey Championship, where she earned All-Star honors and helped the team secure a silver medal. Before her coaching role, she worked as a reporter for ESPN.
The Hughes family has already made history as the first American family to have three sons drafted in the first round of the NHL draft. Jack was selected first while Quinn was drafted seventh overall in 2018, and Luke was chosen fourth overall in 2021. Luke, currently playing for the New Jersey Devils alongside Jack, is presently on long-term injured reserve due to a shoulder injury and is not participating in the Olympics.
The U.S. Men’s hockey team arrived in Milan outfitted by Ralph Lauren prior to the start of the games. Quinn Hughes will form a top defensive pairing with Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins, while Jack Hughes will play alongside J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck of the New York Rangers, with Brock Nelson of the Colorado Avalanche also expected to feature in the lineup, according to Michael Russo of The Athletic.
