When the Devils return to action at the Prudential Center on Wednesday, the organization will have no shortage of ways to celebrate the golden goal scored by Jack Hughes, who
gave Team USA a 2–1 overtime victory over Canada in the gold-medal game on Sunday morning.
Hughes’ goal marks the biggest moment for hockey in New Jersey since the Devils’ last
Stanley Cup.
But Hughes wasn’t the only reason the country’s first men’s hockey gold since the
“Miracle on Ice” in 1980 carried a distinctly New Jersey feel.
In the bedlam that followed the win, Team USA made sure another Jerseyan was part
of the celebration: Johnny Gaudreau.
Team captain Auston Matthews and teammates Zach Werenski and Matthew Tkachuk skated around the ice lifting a ceremonial No. 13 Team USA jersey for Gaudreau.
Gaudreau — a Salem County native and arguably the greatest New Jersey‑born player
ever — likely would have been on this roster had he not been struck and killed by a
drunk driver in the summer of 2024 while riding his bike in Oldmans Township.
On the broadcast, they talked about how Gaudreau’s impact still is felt in youth hockey circles throughout South Jersey.
USA Hockey has done its part to keep his memory alive, too. As with the case during last summer’s Four Nations Face‑Off, Gaudreau’s jersey hung high in the locker room throughout the Olympic run.
After the game, the players held up his jersey — front and center — during their celebratory team photo. They even brought Gaudreau’s children, Noa and Johnny Jr., onto the ice to be part of the pic.
“To be able to get it done like that, to win, to have his jersey out there in the team photo, have his kids come out and be with us, we’re obviously thinking of him,” Matthews said afterward. “Just felt like the impact that he’s had on so many guys in this room is special. He was with us in spirit the whole tournament.”
Hughes said that the spirit of unity within USA Hockey played a major role in the team’s
success.
In a post‑game interview with Kathryn Tappen (the NBC host who was an
accomplished athlete herself at Villa Walsh Academy in Morris Township and later at
Rutgers University) Hughes spoke emotionally about the bond among American
players.
“This is all about our country right now,” he said. “I love the USA. I love my teammates.
It’s unbelievable. The USA Hockey brotherhood is so strong. We have so much support.
I’m so proud to be an American today.”
When he steps onto the ice Wednesday night, Hughes will be one of just 57 American‑born players to win an Olympic gold medal in hockey. Remarkably, he’ll become the fourth member of that elite group to wear a Devils sweater, following Miracle on Ice players Neal Broten, Mark Johnson and Jack O’Callahan.
And while Broten scored the franchise’s first Stanley Cup‑winning goal, none of the
Miracle alumni showcased the singular brilliance Hughes displayed in Sunday’s
overtime period.
Hughes not only buried the game‑winning goal; he also made two crucial plays to set it
up.
First, he slowed down arguably the world’s best forward, Connor McDavid, in a rare
moment where he had to take on a defenseman’s role in the 3‑on‑3 format. Then he
beat Cale Makar — one of the only defensemen in the world at his brother Quinn’s level
— to a loose puck, springing himself on the break that led to the winner.
As for the goal itself, fans will see it replayed endlessly Wednesday night, when the
franchise celebrates its newest American‑born gold medalist — the one whose golden
goal delivered a golden moment for New Jersey hockey.
