Could Jack Hughes go from gold medal to gold teeth?
Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the United States’ men’s hockey team’s gold medal game against Canada at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, giving the United States its first gold medal in men’s hockey since 1980.
His goal came after he lost some teeth when he was hit in the face by a stick from Canada’s Sam Bennett in the third period. He said the first person to reach him after the injury was none other than his brother and Team USA teammate, Quinn Hughes.
“It’s funny how things work out because the first guy closest to me when I’m laying on the ice is obviously my older brother, and he has the puck, and you can see it, he’s like, he’s looking at me to see what’s going on with my teeth,” Jack Hughes said on TODAY while joining the show alongside his brother Feb. 24.
“And I remember him coming up to me and being like, ‘It’s all good, man. It’s only chips. You’re going to be OK,’” he recalled, drawing laughs from Carson Daly, Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin.
“I could see him right there, and I saw his smile, and I was like, ‘Uh oh, that doesn’t look good,’” Quinn Hughes added.
Carson also asked about the timeline to getting his teeth repaired and whether he’d consider gold replacements.
“He has enough gold for it,” Quinn Hughes chimed in.
“It’s funny. Everyone in the media, everyone just wants to hear about my teeth, but I’m ready to get these things fixed as soon as possible,” Jack Hughes said.
“But hockey players are so tough, like every single guy loses their teeth and plays through some of the things,” he said, adding he’s ready to “get my smile back.”
Jack and Quinn’s mother, Ellen Hughes, also appeared with her husband, Jim Hughes, on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle Feb. 24. His mother said they’ve been down this road before.
“The first time he lost a tooth, they were able to rebuild it and then he put a mouth guard in. I thought for sure the mouth guard would save him, but, obviously, I was wrong. He has such an infectious smile and hopefully they will get it back to the same level at some point,” she said.
Earlier on TODAY, Ellen Hughes, who also serves as player development consultant for Team USA women’s ice hockey, was asked which was more agonizing to watch: the hit on her middle son or his gold-clinching goal.
“Definitely watching him get in the face with a stick,” she said.
“I mean, I’m so happy he wears a mouth guard. I can’t even imagine how many more teeth he would have lost without a mouth guard. But it was right in front of us and I can tell you that Quinn, his brother, was on the ice and he saw the teeth go down,” she said. “We saw him picking them up, and I was glad it was teeth and nothing more.
“What are you going to do? He’ll have a good dentist. He’ll get it fixed,” she continued. “And what a moment.
She also said she is still in awe that he would go on to score the goal.
“When he scored, I wasn’t even sure it was he that scored,” she said. “For my husband and I, for all the parents, it doesn’t really matter who scores. It’s about winning. And I know the women felt the same way. And it was just such a historic moment. It didn’t matter who scored. It’s so much fun to be a part of.”
