By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes was enthralled by Lorne Michaels’ stories that highlighted his time at “Saturday Night Live” and enjoyed sharing the stage with brother Quinn and U.S. women’s captain Hilary Knight on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Now the U.S. men’s golden goal-scorer is ready to get back to his day job in the NHL.
Hughes skated Tuesday morning in the aftermath of appearing on Fallon’s show, which is expected to be the last stop on his whirlwind media tour since becoming a national star in Milan — for now. His work with the New Jersey Devils continues now for the stretch run of the season.
“The best couple weeks of my life and just a lot of fun celebrating with the guys and enjoying it,” Hughes said. “Now, after all this, it’s in the rearview mirror for a little bit. We’ll pull it out back in the summer. But yeah, it’s back to Devils and locking back in here and trying to win some games.”
A little over a week removed from scoring one of the biggest goals in U.S. hockey history, the next step in Hughes’ return to normalcy is a matchup against Olympic teammate Matthew Tkachuk and the two-time defending Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers. Hughes acknowledged it was weird being an opponent so quickly, especially given how deep the connection is between him and Quinn and brothers Matthew and Brady, going back to growing up on the ice together.
It’s even stronger now after winning just the country’s third men’s gold medal in the sport and the first since 1980.
“Now we have that special bond of just accomplishing something so special that we’re linked together forever,” Matthew Tkachuk said. “We’re brothers forever, champions forever.”
Florida coach Paul Maurice knows a thing or two about champions from hoisting the Cup each of the past two years and isn’t sure how this star turn will affect Hughes, other than noticing the 24-year-old’s face on every billboard on the way from the team’s hotel in New York to the arena across the river in New Jersey.
Maurice contrasted Hughes’ moment with that of Sidney Crosby, who scored the golden goal for Canada — against the U.S. — in the Olympic final in Vancouver in 2010. Crosby had already won the Stanley Cup by then, and given the Devils’ place in the standings, Hughes will have to wait at least another year to chase hockey’s hallowed trophy.
“If he becomes part of Stanley Cup champions, it will be as it was with Mr. Crosby: It’ll be a wonderful thing to add,” Maurice said. “Wonderful for our game. We should all celebrate that. How it impacts him, I think he’s got lots of years to write a longer story.”
For now, those around Hughes are not worried about the attention affecting him.
“Obviously he’s really been around the map lately,” younger brother and Devils teammate Luke said. “I don’t think one goal changes you. … I think he was just really happy to be a part of it.”
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