Jack Hughes Jokes He Has ‘Nightmares’ About Losing His Teeth Again After They Were Knocked Out at the Olympics (Exclusive)

Jack Hughes joked to PEOPLE at the TIME100 Sports Gala that he has ‘nightmares’ about losing his teeth again. The hockey player’s bloodied mouth became an instantly iconic moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics after he took a stick to the face from a Team Canada player.

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Jack Hughes caught up with PEOPLE at the inaugural TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on July 16

The NHL star joked that he has “nightmares” about losing his teeth again

Hughes’ bloodied mouth became an instantly iconic moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics after he took a stick to the face from a Team Canada player

Jack Hughes caught up with PEOPLE at the inaugural TIME100 Sports Gala in New York City on July 16

The NHL star joked that he has “nightmares” about losing his teeth again

Hughes’ bloodied mouth became an instantly iconic moment at the 2026 Winter Olympics after he took a stick to the face from a Team Canada player

Jack Hughes says the thought of losing his teeth again haunts him in his dreams.

The NHL star, 25, had several teeth knocked out mid-game during Team USA’s win over rival Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February. Nearly five months later, while chatting with PEOPLE exclusively at the inaugural TIME100 Sports Gala on July 16, Hughes joked that he has “nightmares” about it happening again.

“That’s nightmare fuel,” he said at the event in New York City. “You don’t want that to happen again, but when you play hockey, it’s possible.”

Hughes has since had his teeth fixed. “It’s been a while with them back,” he told PEOPLE. “A lot of work in the dentist chair, but it’s worth it.”

The New Jersey Devils player’s bloodied mouth became an instantly iconic moment at this year’s Olympics. During the third period of the U.S. men’s ice hockey team’s gold medal-winning game in Milan on Feb. 22, Hughes took a stick to the mouth from a Team Canada player.

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Despite the injury, Hughes kept playing as the two teams were tied 1-1 at the end of the third period, taking the game into sudden-death overtime. Early in the extra period, Zach Werenski passed the puck to Hughes, who then fired a slap shot past Canada’s Jordan Binnington for the winning goal, clinching Team USA’s first hockey title since 1980.

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Hughes smiled and celebrated the victory with his teammates, revealing his bloodied mouth and broken front teeth. While speaking with reporters, including PEOPLE, after the medal ceremony, he playfully nodded to his injury, saying, “I’m lucky I’m from the best country in the world, and we’ve got great dentists there too. So I’m lucky I’m American, and they’re going to fix me right up.”

More than a week later, on March 2, the athlete appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon alongside his brother and fellow Team USA player Quinn and women’s team captain Hilary Knight. He still had not gotten his teeth fixed at the time.

When host Jimmy Fallon asked, “I think this might be your thing. Are you used to having the hole in your mouth?” Jack smiled and said, “I can promise you this won’t be my thing.”

Hughes also recounted what happened in the moments after his mouth was bloodied during the game. “I remember Quinn, he was the first guy closest to me, and I remember he came up to me at the TV time-out and he was like, ‘It’s not that bad, like, it’s only chipped,’ ” he recalled to Fallon, 51, as both brothers laughed.

Hughes also shared that fans couldn’t resist asking him to show off his broken teeth when they approached him for photos. “When people are coming up for a picture, they’re like, ‘Smile!’ ” he said.

After finally carving out time in his busy, post-Olympics schedule to get his dental work done, the New Jersey Devils player showcased his new pearly whites when he threw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium before the Yankees’ first home game of the season on April 3. He smiled as he hung out on the field and mingled with the players.

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During his conversation with PEOPLE at the TIME100 gala, Hughes also shared how he’s been spending the summer amid his NHL off-season.

“It’s been nice. Honestly, it’s kind of been low-key,” he said. “I know I’ve been seen in some places, but [I’ve] kind of just been hanging with my friends and my family, golfing a lot. So just being low-key and hanging out.”

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