Jack Hughes has worn a USA jersey before — but next month will be a whole different level.
The New Jersey Devils superstar was part of the U.S. National Development Program Team from 2017 through becoming the first overall pick in 2019. During that time, he played in numerous global tournaments, including the 2019 World Juniors, and last year, he was part of the 4 Nations tournament.
Last year, Hughes said, was a "pretty crazy buildup," but the number of nations in next year's fight for Olympic gold will reach 12, making it a true international competition.
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"I haven't played international play really, since 2019 in the World Juniors. So to be able to play in the Olympics, I mean, that's the biggest stage too, so just really excited and something I'm looking forward to," Hughes said to Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
The United States, Canada, Finland and Sweden took part in the tournament last year, which was the first time international hockey featured best-on-best competition since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
For Hughes, it was a whole different brand of the sport.
"Just how competitive and how fun the games were. I mean, you got the best players in the world, all in one game, there's only one puck. It's just crazy," Hughes said.
"Like, it's crazy how fast those games were and how skilled they were and how the littlest plays can make a huge difference, or a little mistake can open things up for the other team. So yeah, it'll be interesting. Like, we might not even play Canada when we're over there, but, you know, those games against Canada in 4 Nations were so fun to be a part of, and I'm sure the Olympic Games will be just as good."
And, at the risk of being corny, Hughes may just watch "Miracle" while in Milan to get the patriotic juices flowing.
"I’d say every single player grew up watching the Miracle on Ice. That's like when people ask me what are my Olympic memories, the first thing I say is growing up and watching ‘Miracle,’ it's a legendary movie. When you think of Olympics, you think of that, and that's where you want to be a part of."
The Olympics, though, present a challenge. Hughes and his Devils are in the thick of a playoff push, all while Team USA drops the puck in roughly three weeks. It’s already a season full of late nights and long travel, and the Olympics, for the first time in 12 years, are putting that on NHL players. But with Mucinex Kickstart, Hughes has been able to stay in top shape for the Devils and hopes to do so for the United States.
"When I was run down (earlier in the season), I got some Mucinex Kickstart in me to try to feel better and gear up to feel good enough to play. Honestly, you're traveling so much, you're on the move, late nights and stuff, so, trying to just get your rest and feel good. And when you are feeling under the weather, you just take the supplements and try to feel better," Hughes said.
It will also certainly be a whirlwind of emotions and pressure from now until April (hopefully June, for Hughes' sake).
"You don't want to overlook the season at all, because you still have three weeks to a month before we can head over to the Olympics. It's a little bit of like, you have this looming thing coming in the Olympics, it’s such an exciting time, and you're so excited to be a part of that. But you can't look past your NHL schedule, because that's the most important thing," Hughes said. "And, you know, with New Jersey, we're trying to find wins and win hockey games, start to play a little bit better.
"So the next couple weeks are super important for the rest of our year. We got to really dig in the next three weeks before we head off to break in the Olympics, but I think it's all really exciting. You get to play in the NHL and then on top of that, you get a pause, and then we get to go play in the Olympics, and then we come back, and we have a crazy playoff push. So it should be a crazy fun next couple months."
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