Olympics hero Jack Hughes gets ultimate Jersey honor

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes was already a big deal. Then came the 2026 Winter Olympics. While we were all bracing for and dealing with a blizzard, he was in Italy pulling off a miracle. And unlike some athletes there who were saying they felt awkward to downright embarrassed to be representing America with how the world may be viewing us, Hughes was fully patriotic.

“I’m so proud and I’m so happy that the men’s and women’s USA hockey teams brought gold medals back to the United States of America,” he said on his return to New Jersey.

Classy that he recognized the women’s team as well.

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He also received a hero’s welcome at the State of the Union address by President Trump. You’d think all that might be the pinnacle, right? The very epitome of recognition.

Ah but no, because you’re forgetting this is New Jersey. There are certain things we hold sacred here in the Dirty Jerz, and delis are certainly among them.

After all this other glory, perhaps the most Jersey of all honors has been bestowed upon Jack Hughes.

According to nj.com he has now had a sandwich named after him.

A famous Newark Jewish deli just a stone’s throw from Prudential Center, where Hughes’ team plays, is called Hobby’s Delicatessen. They just put “Jack’s Golden Goal Sandwich” on the menu.

What is it? Hobby’s says it starts with “bloody rare” roast beef “so tender, you don’t need teeth.” Get it? During their gold-winning Olympic game, Hughes got his two front teeth knocked out in a high-sticking incident.

That tender roast beef is topped nicely with American cheese and sautéed onions on a roll. The deli even toyed with the idea of putting five onion rings on top the sandwich to symbolize the Olympic rings but stopped short.

The deli says the sandwich named after Jack Hughes will be a permanent menu item and they hope he’ll find time to stop by Hobby’s and try it for himself. How Jersey is this?!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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