![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 20, 2026; Milan, Italy; Auston Matthews of United States with fans before the match against Slovakia in a men's ice hockey semifinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters via Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_306,w_3240,h_1822/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/121/01kj37zeczarwdw88v63.jpg "[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 20, 2026; Milan, Italy; Auston Matthews of United States with fans before the match against Slovakia in a men's ice hockey semifinal during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters via Imagn Images")
If there is one major takeaway after the 2026 Winter Olympics for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, it's that Auston Matthews has it in him to win it all. And his Team USA teammate Jack Hughes wants anyone who doubts that he can do that, to be quiet.
After Hughes, Matthews, and the rest of Team USA defeated Canada in overtime by a score of 2-1 -- in which Hughes ended up scoring the historic golden goal -- the New Jersey Devils captain was very blunt in defense of his national captain.
#NJDevils Jack Hughes goes to bat for USA🇺🇸 teammate and captain Auston Matthews:
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) February 22, 2026
“I think it doesn't matter what anyone says now. Auston Matthews is a winner. Auston Matthews is an Olympic gold medalist. He's a winner. That’s what the media in Toronto should be talking about.”
“I think it doesn't matter what anyone says now. Auston Matthews is a winner. Auston Matthews is an Olympic gold medalist. He's a winner. That’s what the media in Toronto should be talking about," Hughes said after winning gold, via The New York Post's Mollie Walker.
Jack Hughes wants anyone who doubts Auston Matthews to be proven wrong
All throughout the tournament, and of course during the Leafs' own tumultuous season that most likely finishes with them out of the playoffs, Matthews's ability has been called into question. Whether it's the narrative that he's not a good enough leader, or even one of the best centers in the NHL anymore, or even deserves to be captain of Team USA -- it's been nonstop.
But Matthews himself did all he could to quiet that noise. He played an excellent medal round, being the main shutdown center and being up against the opposition's best players. In the gold medal game, he was hard-matched up against Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and Nathan MacKinnon, and did a whole lot for that line to be completely quiet on the night.
And for the tournament overall, Matthews finished tied for second among American scorers, with only Quinn Hughes scoring more points than the Leafs captain's seven in six games, and Jack scoring the same.
There is now no doubt that Matthews can do it. To bring a team and lead a team on and off the ice, to an eventual championship and win it all.
Matthews will return to action for the Maple Leafs next Wednesday as they travel down to Florida and face the Lightning and Panthers in a back-to-back.