Olympic gold medalist Jack Hughes, one of the faces of Team USA’s historic hockey victory at the 2026 Winter Olympics, has unexpectedly gone viral after a brief interaction with a crowd outside Saturday Night Live motivated a wave of online mockery.
The March 3 clip, which has surpassed 1 million views on X, shows the 24-year-old athlete quietly waving at people gathered outside the show’s New York studio as he exits the building following his appearance on the February 28 episode hosted by actor Connor Storrie.
Instead of the enthusiastic reaction often associated with Olympic champions, the response was muted.
Most of the crowd remained focused on other arrivals and departures, with only a handful acknowledging the New Jersey Devils star.
“Never seen a grown man be humbled this fast,” the original poster wrote.
A clip of Olympic gold medalist Jack Hughes being “ignored” by SNL fans went viral on X
Others argued the scene was less about disrespect and more about context.
“To be fair, no one is there to see Jack. They all want to see Connor and Hudson!” another user commented, referring to host Connor Storrie and his Heated Rivalry co-star Hudson Williams, whose appearance on the episode drew loud cheers inside the studio.
The viral clip came only hours after Hughes had appeared on stage during Storrie’s opening monologue, which unexpectedly featured Olympic gold medalists from both the US men’s and women’s hockey teams.
Storrie opened the segment by joking about the unusual preparation his acting career had demanded while filming the hockey-themed series Heated Rivalry, where he portrays a professional player despite having no real hockey background.
@megansh97 Replying to @hi_itsbee_111 ♬ original sound – Megan Hanson
“I am just so thankful for everything this job gives me the chance to do,” the 26-year-old told the audience during his monologue on Saturday Night Live.
“Like, in two weeks, I had the chance to learn how to speak Russian and look like I knew how to play hockey.”
Moments later, the actor found himself standing next to actual Olympic hockey players, including Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes, who walked onstage wearing their Team USA jerseys and gold medals.
The hockey players were introduced with a joke that directly alluded to Trump’s post-win comment about “having to” invite the women’s team
The New Jersey Devils star joked about the brutal realities of the sport compared to television acting.
“I got my teeth knocked out in the finals, does that happen in your show?” Hughes asked.
The audience laughed, but the biggest reaction came moments later when women’s hockey stars Hilary Knight and Megan Keller walked onstage.
Knight immediately delivered a line referencing the ongoing rivalry and controversy surrounding Team USA’s Olympic victories.
“It was going to be just us, but we thought we’d invite the guys, too,” she said.
The crowd erupted.
The remark alluded to a political controversy that had followed the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, where both the US men’s and women’s teams defeated Canada to win gold.
Hughes scored the overtime goal that secured the men’s first Olympic hockey gold medal since the famous 1980 “Miracle on Ice,” when a team of American college players won against the heavily favored Soviet Union during the Cold War, instantly cementing his place in American hockey history.
Hughes and the rest of the men’s team were criticized for laughing at Trump’s remark
Megan Keller, on the other hand, delivered the overtime goal that clinched the women’s championship.
The celebrations took an uncomfortable turn shortly afterward when former president Donald Trump, during a congratulatory phone call inviting the men’s team to the White House, reportedly joked that “we’re going to have to bring the women’s team” too, then added that if he didn’t, he’d “probably be impeached.”
Hilary Knight later criticized the remark.
Trump’s “distasteful joke,” she said, was “overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold medal feats.”
The incident placed the men’s team, including Hughes, at the center of a broader debate about gender recognition in sports. In the clip, multiple men’s players could be seen laughing at the joke.
While some fans saw the SNL appearance as a lighthearted way to address the tension, others continued to criticize the men’s players.
The women’s team had also won gold, so treating their inclusion as something the president “has to” do framed them like an afterthought in critics’ eyes.
Despite the online mockery, Hughes remains one of the most celebrated young players in hockey.
The center for the New Jersey Devils has been considered a generational talent since being selected first overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, known for his speed, playmaking ability, and scoring instincts.
His overtime goal in the Olympic final instantly turned him into a national hero.
Standing before a crowd after the victory, Hughes expressed pride in both teams’ achievements.
“I’m so proud, and I’m so happy that the men’s and women’s USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America,” he said.
“His sadness makes me happy.” Hughes’ critics took to social media to share their thoughts
