The international hockey community is abuzz with excitement as we inch closer to the celebration at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, scheduled to take place in February 2026. For once, the differences fostered by the NHL will be set aside, and loyalty to their respective countries will reign supreme.
However, even before fans of USA Hockey could bask in the perfection of their roster, one injury after another has dampened their excitement. The Tkachuk brothers’ injuries were bad news enough; Jack Hughes’ freak injury piles on this misfortune significantly.
Jack Hughes’ Accident Worsens the Situation for USA Hockey Ahead of Olympics
While Team Canada appears as formidable as ever, with the likes of Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Nathan MacKinnon among others, the USA has yet to find a way to overcome the tough injury luck that seems to accompany the team like a sinister shadow. Matthew Tkachuk has been out for a while, recuperating from an offseason surgery. Brother Brady is away from the ice, too, recovering from right-hand surgery.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is sidelined with a lower-body injury, thanks to a problematic encounter with Boston Bruins blueliner Nikita Zadorov. Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes is reeling with an undisclosed injury, and if that wasn’t enough, a similar fate has befallen his brother and New Jersey Devils centerpiece, Jack.
“Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk. All are currently hurt. USA Hockey can’t be thrilled,” posted journalist Vinnie Parise on his social media, alerting the world to the sorry state of affairs.
Hughes’ injury was non-hockey: it happened during a team dinner, making it all the more bizarre. NHL media reported that Hughes will be out for at least two months after undergoing finger surgery. The standout center will be reevaluated in six weeks. The details of the accident remain hidden. Devils HC Sheldon Keefe shared that it could have happened to just about anyone.
“Well, I think just out of respect for the situation, and it doesn’t do anybody any good to dig too much into the details of what happened other than to say from our end of it, we’re satisfied it was a freak accident that could have happened to anyone,” Keefe shared with NHL media.
Hughes’ injury is, for the time being, the Devils’ most significant obstacle, with the 24-year-old leading the team in points. But his prolonged absence could also have adverse repercussions for the USA roster. Moreover, Charlie McAvoy was also hit in the face by the puck by Noah Dobson during the Bruins’ showdown against the Montreal Canadiens, causing him to miss the remainder of the game.
Injuries seem to be hindering the USA’s international aspirations at this point. With the Devils’ standout center being injured at such a critical juncture, there is every reason for panic to ensue among hockey fans in the country.
