Team Usa: Quinn Hughes: Olympic Gold Medalist to Appear on SNL and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon | NHL News
The Team USA victory lap continues for Quinn Hughes. The Wild defenseman and Olympic gold medalist will appear on two major NBC programs over the coming days, adding media obligations to an already demanding schedule as Minnesota pushes for playoff positioning.Hughes will first appear on Saturday Night Live on February 28 before visiting The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on March 2. His brother Jack, who scored the overtime winner in the gold medal game against Canada, may join him on the Fallon couch for the interview.
Minnesota Wild Star Quinn Hughes Balancing Media Duties with Wild Schedule
The SNL episode already carries a hockey theme with Connor Storrie serving as host. Storrie plays Ilya Rozanov on Heated Rivalry, the Crave production that has become a global sensation since its debut. A second season has already been announced for the series.The 26-year-old D-man faces a packed week that extends beyond television appearances. The Wild play in Utah on Friday before returning home for games on Sunday and Tuesday. Hughes is not expected to miss any contests despite the cross-country travel requirements.Minnesota acquired Hughes from the Canucks in a blockbuster trade on December 13. The Wild sent Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren, and a 2026 first-round pick to Vancouver for the 2024 Norris Trophy winner. Hughes has thrived since arriving in Minnesota. The Wild have also been raking up some big wins over the month and look poised to make the postseason. For Hughes, whose biggest reason for leaving the Canucks was to get a chance to win the Stanley Cup, things are looking better than ever.He has already posted 34 points with 31 assists in 26 games following the trade after recording 23 points in 26 games with Vancouver earlier in the season. The Orlando native carried that form to Milan to deliver a dominant performance at the Olympics. He ended up finishing with seven assists to set the record for most helpers by an American in a single Olympic tournament featuring NHL players. The IIHF named Hughes the Best Defender of the tournament and selected him for the Olympic All-Star Team. He logged the second-most ice time among American skaters behind Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Hughes watched his younger brother Jack score the golden goal 1:41 into overtime against Canada on February 22. The victory gave Team USA its first Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. The television appearances offer Hughes an opportunity to share that experience with a national audience while keeping pace with Minnesota’s playoff push in the Western Conference.
