Jack Hughes Wins Honor from Time Magazine

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils was named to the 100 Most Influential People in Sports 2026 by TIME. He scored the Olympic gold medal winner at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

What happened?

Hughes was the only men's hockey player to make the cut on this particular TIME list. He is on the section of the list titled "Titans" alongside Victor Wembanyama, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Senior Correspondent Sean Gregory wrote Hughes's section.

Why it matters for Jack Hughes

Gregory detailed how the Team USA icon will forever be remembered for losing his teeth and posing with the American flag. The image of Hughes, American flag draped over his shoulders, fist up, bloodied, smiling, and missing two choppers, will endure. Hughes is joined on the list by other sporting icons such as Aaron Judge, Caitlin Clark, Lionel Messi, and LeBron James.

What comes next?

Hughes scored against Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington just 1:41 into overtime for the American men. He became the fastest player in New Jersey history to reach 400 points, achieving this in only 414 games on March 16, 2026. The USA Hockey gold medal wins for both the men and women were nicknamed the "Double Gold". This marked the first time in U.S. and Olympic history that both the men's and women's teams won Olympic gold medals. Hughes lost two of his teeth in the process of getting smashed in the face by a stick before he became a U.S. hero. He currently has 428 points across his NHL career and is coming off a 2025-26 season with the Devils that saw him post 27 goals and 50 assists.