Jack Hughes and Caroline Harvey are borderline American heroes, at least in the athletic space. Hughes delivered the golden goal to win USA Men’s Hockey its first gold since the miraculous 1980 team. Harvey took home tournament MVP as the Women’s Hockey team earned gold after falling short in 2022. For a day, though, they were just Jack Hughes and Caroline Harvey, working a celebratory shift at Raising Cane’s and talking about the joint success of the American hockey teams.

Jack Hughes, Caroline Harvey Discuss Olympic Wins

Winning gold isn’t always possible at the Olympics. There’s a reason three athletes or teams end up with medals to celebrate impressive athletic achievement. But it’s also true that gold medal-winners, like Jack Hughes and Caroline Harvey with the USA Men’s and Women’s Hockey teams, get a lot of love for taking home the top prize.

Since both teams did that, a connection has been formed across the sport, and it reflects the Raising Cane’s motto, “One Love.” With that one love in mind, Harvey revealed that there has been a ton of support from each team for the other in the wake of their historic victories.

Harvey said, “I mean, definitely feeling the love, super special thing coming back and feeling all the support. It’s just a super special thing to go over there and get the gold and come home with that. That was a big goal for us, but yeah, we feel the love and feel super supported by everyone.”

It can be legacy-defining. Winning the best award in perhaps the top athletic competition in the world, especially for an individual athlete or someone influential in their team’s win, can change how the public, especially in America, perceives the athlete.

But for Hughes, it’s not about that. He will forever be remembered for scoring the most important goal in American men’s hockey history, but he’s just glad the team got the gold and beat its rival, Canada. “We had such a good group of guys, and we spoke about this for so long, and we wanted it,” the New Jersey Devils star said. “And we got it done, like that’s the best part.”

Hughes added that this is a rare opportunity. First of all, the Olympics come around every four years. Secondly, NHL players haven’t played in the Olympics since 2014, so many of the players in the entire tournament got their first taste of Olympic competition. “We’re lucky that the timing put us in a place where we could go to the Olympics,” he said.

It’s also a point of national pride, which Hughes mentioned in the immediate aftermath of the win. He said then he was just so proud to be an American, and that sentiment hasn’t worn off in the weeks since. “We’re so proud to be the team that broke the streak of the US men’s team not being able to win gold,” he added.

Hockey’s Big Moment

Hockey is having a moment now thanks to the Olympics. There were a lot of “eyeballs” on the sport, as Harvey put it, when everyone was in Milan. That can only be good for the sport’s longevity and its growth. “A kid that’s going to be me in 20 years is going to remember where he was at in 2026 when we won gold,” Hughes said.

“It’s a super exciting time, I think,” Harvey said. “The Olympics brought a lot of attention around that… especially on women’s hockey. It’s super special to be a part of that this time, going into the next chapter ahead. I’m just enjoying it.”

Young players will inevitably be inspired by this to keep on their hockey journey, but Hughes doesn’t want anyone getting ahead of themselves. Those eight-year-old kids should be focused on learning to love and have fun playing the sport. He never worried about making the NHL back then, and neither should the current crop of youth athletes.

“I know it’s so cliche, but when you’re a kid, it’s not about making it. It’s about having fun, loving it, having passion, so you’re not like, oh, my goodness, because as you go up the mountain, the mountain gets smaller and smaller,” the Devils forward remarked.

It is the first time the men and women have come away with gold in the same tournament. Ironically, they both beat bitter rival Canada in overtime by a score of 2-1. For Hughes and his brother, Quinn, watching the women play their finale before the men had a semifinal matchup was almost as stressful.

“We were going to leave after the second period,: Hughes said, admitting that because the Americans trailed for the vast majority of the game, the Hughes decided to stay. “You get nervous for your own game sometimes, but man, we were stressing so big.”

Fans at home get to watch the Olympics, but they pretty much only see the competitions themselves. They don’t see anything else, but the entire experience is something incredibly special for the players, and it starts in the Olympic Village.

“You go there, and it’s like you’re back at hockey camp. We were on the same floor with the women. It’s like barracks. It’s special,” Hughes revealed. “That’s the stuff you guys don’t see. That whole Olympic spirit… It’s just so fun to represent the colors… That was the best part, honestly, aside from the hockey.”

Passing of the Torch?

Caroline Harvey is just 23, and this was just her second Olympics. With Hilary Knight playing her final Olympics after an incredible career and other veterans on the team getting older, winning tournament MVP and taking home the gold could be viewed as a passing of the torch moment.

For Harvey, though, it’s not. She doesn’t feel as if she’s taking the next step to be the star of the team or anything like that. “[Knight has] had such a great run every Olympics. She’s been unbelievable. She’s left quite the legacy,” Harvey said, deflecting all the attention back to the most decorated hockey player in American history.

“I just view it as, I’m just continuously trying to learn from still the veterans,” the Wisconsin Badgers star said. “You can always learn from all your teammates. I’m just trying to play my best and do whatever’s best for the team.” In 2026, that resulted in an MVP performance, but all she wants to do is whatever the team needs of her.

Inspiring national confidence in athletics is a big part of the Olympics. While those are over, the World Baseball Classic is happening now. It’s not the same as the Olympics, but it is currently the biggest international baseball tournament. The Americans are favored to win it all.

Aaron Judge and others have mentioned being inspired by the hockey wins in the Olympics. Hughes, a big New York Yankees and Judge fan, was thrilled to know that the hockey team has inspired the baseball team. “To see how excited those guys are to wear the U.S.A. colors now,” Hughes said. “All those guys have been tuned in to the hockey.”

Raising Cane’s has been big for both players. “It means everything,” both Hughes and Harvey shared. Not only have fans supported them since coming back to play in their respective leagues, but Canes has been there for the ride and to celebrate with them as well.

Conclusion

Jack Hughes and Caroline Harvey have just reached the pinnacle of athletic achievement, though some would have a hard time differentiating between a hockey championship with their team or an Olympic gold. Either way, they’ve reached a height that so many athletes have sought out, and they celebrated accordingly at Raising Cane’s.