Hughes has ‘Olympic spirit’ watching sons star for Team USA

Back home, Jim has a job too, though. A longtime coach who was an assistant with the Boston Bruins from 2001-03, he is the director of player development for CAA Hockey, which represents many NHL players. He runs summer skates at USA Hockey Arena to help players prepare for the season.

“I just have the blow the whistle,” Jim said. “It’s very simple. It’s all built in. The drills are there, and the trick to it is, they push each other, they make each other better, and they challenge each other.”

There is a core group of regulars, including Jack, Luke, Quinn, Larkin, Cole Caufield, Kyle Connor, Andrew Copp, Alex DeBrincat, Adam Fantilli, Connor Hellebuyck, Tyler Motte, Josh Norris, Alex Turcotte, Zach Werenski and Trevor Zegras. Sometimes Matty Beniers stops in. Not only are Jack and Quinn part of the U.S. men’s team in Milan, but so are Connor, Hellebuyck, Larkin and Werenski.

That play Quinn made for the OT winner Wednesday?

“I’ve seen him do it every day in the summer,” Werenski said. “I know it’s a different stage, but when you do it consistently over and over again against some of the best players in the world in the summer, you do it every day in the NHL, why can’t he do it here?”