Jack Hughes might not have slept for nearly 48 hours.
The American hero is back home in the United States after the men’s hockey team landed in Florida following the long trip from the Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
On Sunday, Hughes scored the game-winning goal in overtime to bring Team USA its first men’s hockey gold medal in 46 years.
Before the New Jersey Devils star defeated Canada, however, he lost something of his own.
Two things, in fact.
As time was winding down in the third period, Hughes lost two teeth after getting popped in the face with an errant high stick.
After scoring the golden goal, Hughes was famously captured smiling, his grin broken, with the American flag draped across his back.
While the jokes about his teeth might have been funny for the first few hours following the game, the 24-year-old seems done with being asked to show off his now iconic smile.
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As Hughes prepared for the gold medal celebration at Miami’s famous nightclub E11EVEN, he was pulled aside by a local reporter to answer how it feels to be back on home soil.
Hughes, gracious but obviously tired, said he was happy to be back and was ready to party again after spending the last night in the Olympic Village basking in the victory.
Things got awkward, though, when the reporter asked one final thing of Hughes.
“Can you give [Fox-7] News a smile real quick?”
“Nah, man,” Hughes replied. “I don’t even love these teeth. I don’t like this look for me.”
After the reporter said the chipped teeth looked good for the country, Hughes said thanks and walked off.
Hughes will have a quick turnaround if he gets any sleep tonight, as the Devils play at home against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
