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Quinn Hughes ensured he wouldn't have to play one more second in the Olympic quarterfinal by slotting home the game-winning goal in overtime for Team USA against Sweden.
He'd already been on the ice much longer than anyone else.
Anyone who knows Hughes won't be surprised by this. It was his routine with the Vancouver Canucks and now with the Minnesota Wild.
Hughes plays more minutes than everyone, pretty much every night. He has had NHL games in which he's broken the 30-minute barrier, more than half the game.
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On this night for Team USA, he ended up at 27 minutes and 31 seconds. That was the most on Team USA by more than six minutes (Jack Eichel was second at 21:24).
It was a game-high, too, with Sweden's Erik Karlsson just behind at 27:26.
Here's the ice-time spread from USA's 2-1 overtime win over Sweden pic.twitter.com/czcmCHo4px
— Kyle Cushman (@Kyle_Cush) February 18, 2026MORE: A dog stole the show at the finish line of cross country skiing
Just because it's normal for Hughes, though, doesn't mean it isn't exceptional.
In a high-intensity, win-or-go-home game, Hughes was on the ice more than any of his teammates.
And in the moment they needed him most, he delivered the goal to keep their Olympics alive.
It doesn't get much better than that.
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