After the U.S. men’s hockey quarter-final vs. Sweden yesterday, Quinn Hughes has been all over our social media feeds.
His overtime, game-winning goal put an even bigger spotlight on the already pretty famous 26-year-old NHL star, traded to the Minnesota Wild this season in a blockbuster deal.
If you know him, you definitely know him, but if you don’t (or just want to revel in some Minnesota sports greatness), here’s our primer on Quinn Hughes.
He comes from a family that’s obsessed with hockey
Hughes’ mom, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played collegiate hockey at the University of New Hampshire and competed on Team USA in the 1992 Women’s World Championships. Hughes’ dad also played hockey and has worked in the NHL for various teams.
They have three sons: Quinn, Jack and Luke, who all currently play in the NHL. Can we call that a hat trick? Quinn and Jack are also both part of the 2026 U.S. hockey team competing at the Olympics in Milan.
He has a great nickname
During his time playing for the Vancouver Canucks, a teammate nicknamed him “Huggy Bear,” after he wore a T-shirt with a bear on it to practice.
According to an interview after a Canadian hockey broadcast, Hughes said he’s gotten used to it now, but it’s “pretty funny.” And he ditched the T-shirt shortly after. Let us buy you a new teddy bear T-shirt, Quinn!
The internet thinks he’s haunted
Hughes has been memed over and over again, beginning in his days playing for the Canucks, because in games and in media appearances, his expression can be a little, well, haunted at times.
