And a few days ago, Guerin called Hughes to let him know that spot would be in Italy come February to represent the United States at the Olympic Winter Games.
“In my head I know where I stand, but when you get that call from Billy it’s an amazing feeling,” Hughes said. “It’s a special group of guys. To be able to play in the Olympics – NHLers haven’t been able to play in the Olympics in a really long time – is a dream come true. When Billy calls, it’s a really rewarding and happy feeling.”
Hughes has fond memories of Olympics past. He was raised on the 1980 Miracle on Ice and remembers watching team USA win silver in overtime in 2010 and T.J. Oshie’s epic shootout performance at the 2014 Games.
“To be a part of that, you dream of that,” he beamed. “To be a part of that is really special.”
Hughes got a taste of the action at last year’s Four Nations tournament. In what became an Olympic preview, the Americans fell in overtime to Canada in the title game.
“Just a really good time, spending time with guys away from the rink. You’re building toward the Olympics and we have our group now. A really good building block for us,” Hughes said. “USA Hockey is in a great place. This is the biggest stage. A great opportunity. We have a lot of guys in their prime and a lot of guys that are hungry to play for the US at the Olympic stage. We’re confident in our group. It’s Day 1 today. Once we get together in February, we’ll be really excited.”