Wild's Quinn Hughes Sets USA Olympic Record in Gold Medal Game

Quinn Hughes made American hockey history as he assisted on Matt Boldy's opening goal in the Olympic gold medal game against Canada. The Minnesota Wild defenseman collected his seventh helper at Milano Cortina 2026 to establish a new record for the most assists by an American in a single Olympic tournament with NHL players.

The secondary assist on Boldy's strike at 6:00 of the first period gave Hughes eight total points through six games. That total matched the record for most points by a defenseman in a single Olympic tournament with NHL players, tying Sweden's Erik Karlsson from Sochi 2014 and American Brian Rafalski from Vancouver 2010.

Hughes Breaks Ryan Suter's Assist Mark

Hughes surpassed the previous American single-tournament assist record when he picked up his seventh helper of the competition. Ryan Suter had held the mark with seven assists across 12 games spanning multiple Olympics, while Hughes accomplished the feat in just six contests.

The 26-year-old also tied Suter for the second-most career assists by an American defenseman during Olympics with NHL players. Rafalski holds the overall career record with eight assists and 13 points across 17 Olympic games in three tournaments.

Hughes entered the gold medal game as Team USA's leading scorer and the top-scoring defenseman at Milano Cortina 2026. His offensive production has been critical throughout the Americans' championship run following his overtime winner against Sweden in the quarterfinals.

The Vancouver native scored at 3:27 of the extra period to lift USA past the Swedes 2-1 and advance to the semifinals. He logged a game-high 27 minutes and 31 seconds in that contest while setting up Dylan Larkin for another goal earlier in the game.

Historic Tournament Performance Continues

Hughes extended his assist streak to six consecutive games with the helper on Boldy's opening strike. That established another American record for the longest assist streak by any player during an Olympics with NHL participation, breaking the mark he previously shared with Sweden's Nicklas Lidstrom from Salt Lake City 2002.

Quinn Hughes collected his seventh assist of the #MilanoCortina2026 #WinterOlympics and established a new mark for the most by an American in a single Olympics with NHL players. 🇺🇸 #NHLStats: https://t.co/ny7UGHvVpw pic.twitter.com/U3zvqUwPrM
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) February 22, 2026

The Wild defenseman is having an exceptional NHL season after being acquired from Vancouver on December 12. He has recorded 57 points through 52 games with five goals and 52 assists while anchoring Minnesota's blue line.

Hughes missed last year's 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, which prevented him from helping Team USA compete for that championship. His presence at Milano Cortina 2026 has been transformative for the Americans as they seek their first Olympic gold since the Miracle on Ice triumph at Lake Placid in 1980.

Team USA held a 1-0 lead over Canada after the opening period, with Hughes providing the historic assist that put the Americans ahead early. But Cale Makar quickly tied the scores in the second period to level the game for the Canadians. Now, one last period starts between him and the gold.

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