All About NHL Brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes' Parents, Jim and Ellen
All About NHL Brothers Jack and Quinn Hughes' Parents, Jim and Ellen
Emily BlackwoodWed, February 18, 2026 at 9:03 PM UTC
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Quinn and Jack Hughes at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics on February 08, 2026 in Milan, Italy ; Jack and Quinn Hughes with their family in September 2024.
Joe Scarnici/Getty ; Jack Hughes/Instagram
Jim Hughes and Ellen Weinberg-Hughes share three sons: Quinn, Jack and Luke
Both Jack and Quinn's parents have a background in the sport, with Jim becoming a coach and Ellen competing on the US women's national team
Though all three boys play hockey, Ellen said they didn't pressure them into the sport
Jack and Quinn Hughes inherited their hockey chops from their parents, Jim Hughes and Ellen Weinberg-Hughes.
The NHL stars' father played the sport in college and has coached all over North America, and their mother played for the U.S. women's national team, per The Athletic. She left the sport to raise their three sons, Quinn, Jack and Luke, who have all followed in her footsteps onto the ice.
Now that Jack and Quinn are competing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Ellen also has an important role. Not just as a supporter of her sons, but as the player development coach for the U.S. women’s hockey team.
“It’s just super special,” Jack told Olympics.com in February 2026. “We're super happy for our mom. She really enjoys what she's doing ... So it’s pretty cool, all three of us can be a part of our first Olympics together, and hopefully we're taking home gold medals."
Here's everything to know about Jack and Quinn Hughes' parents, Jim and Ellen.
Ellen is a former professional hockey player
Jack Hughes and his mom Ellen.
Jack Hughes/Instagram
The mom of three played three sports — soccer, lacrosse and hockey — while attending the University of New Hampshire, according to The Athletic. Though she won silver at the 1992 International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women's World Championships, she had retired from the sport by the time women's ice hockey made its Olympic debut.
Ellen worked as a broadcaster covering women's soccer and hockey before leaving TV in 2009 to raise her three sons when Jim got a new job in player development.
"When he was still in coaching it was great," she told The Athletic in July 2018. "I could look at his schedule and pick the gigs I wanted. Once he got into player development, it was much tougher."
She added, "We were throwing kids here, throwing kids there ... That was the best decision we made for our kids as athletes."
Jim was an assistant hockey coach in the minor leagues
Jack and Quinn Hughes with their brother Luke and dad Jim in June 2021.
Quinn Hughes/Instagram
Like his wife, Jim also played hockey in college. According to The Athletic, he transitioned to coaching, including a five-year stint as the Toronto Maple Leafs' director of player development.
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He's served as the director of player development for CAA Hockey, a talent agency, since 2016.
Ellen coaches for the women’s Olympic hockey team
Jack Hughes and his mom Ellen.
Jack Hughes/Instagram
In 2023, Ellen was hired as the player development consultant for the U.S. Women's national hockey team. She helped them win gold in the World Championships twice — once in 2023 and again in 2025.
“Never in a million years did I think that I would be in Italy and have the opportunity to be a part of the women’s Olympic team," she told The Athletic in February 2026. "And then to have two sons there, you just count your blessings ... and hope for a lot of wins."
They have three sons
The Hughes family attends the 2024 NHL Awards on June 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ethan Miller/Getty
Jim and Ellen share three boys. Their first two sons, Quinn and Jack, were born in Orlando, Fla., in 1999 and 2001, respectively, while their dad was an assistant coach for the Solar Bears, according to The Athletic. However, they were raised in Mississauga, Ontario.
Their youngest son, Luke, was born in 2003.
Ellen said they never pressured the boys to play hockey
Jack and Quinn Hughes with their family in September 2022.
Jack Hughes/Instagram
Though one could guess that hockey was always the plan for the Hughes boys, Ellen has said otherwise. She told UNH in 2021 that because they "were always playing," she got them into organized sports as soon as she could, just for the fun of it.
But that fun turned into a full-fledged NHL career for all three of her sons. Quinn was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018 (though he now plays for the Minnesota Wild), and Jack was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils a year later. In 2021, Luke joined the family business when he was selected fourth overall by the Devils.
Jim previously confessed to The Athletic that all three of his boys were "very, very competitive."
Jim said no one is “a bigger fan of Jack” than his brother Quinn
Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes during training on day three of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games on February 09, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Bruce Bennett/Getty
Jack and Quinn's dad gave fans an inside look into the brothers' dynamic when he described his eldest son's protective nature over his younger brother.
"You know, Quinn's got a big heart, and he's very thoughtful," he told ESPN in October 2019. "No one is a bigger fan of Jack than Quinn. Quinn understands Jack's capabilities and the interior expectations Jack has."
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
