Team USA hockey hero Jack Hughes reportedly has more than a brand new gold medal to be excited about these days.
Hughes, 24, and pop star Tate McRae are “having fun getting to know each other better,” according to Entertainment Tonight.
A source told the outlet that things are “still new” between the pair, who first sparked romance rumors in December 2025 when they were spotted together in New York. McRae, 22, also attended one of Hughes’ New Jersey Devils home games around the same time.
“They have a lot of the same friends and started hanging out that way,” the outlet reported, adding that Hughes has also attended some of McRae’s concerts.
The insider added, “She’s not looking for something super serious, but he really likes her.”
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for Hughes and McRae.
Hughes has been at the center of multiple controversies since scoring the gold medal-winning goal against Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Sunday, February 22.
The hockey star was seen in a video from the locker room celebration laughing at President Donald Trump’s dig at the Team USA women’s hockey team, who also won gold at the Olympics.
Trump, 79, joked that he’d “probably be impeached” if he didn’t also invite the women’s team to visit him at the White House.
“You’re in the moment, the president calls,” Hughes told reporters on Wednesday, February 25. “We’re blaring the music and then they pause the music and then the president calls. I don’t think … obviously, it is what it is now.”
He added, “We have so much respect for the women’s team. They have so much respect for us. We’re all just proud Americans. We’re happy that we both swept the Olympics.”
Hughes and most of his Team USA teammates traveled to D.C. to meet with the president on Tuesday, February 24.
The team hung out with Trump in the Oval Office before attending his State of the Union address later that evening, where the team was honored.
“You’ve got to remember, we’re just hockey players,” Hughes said on Wednesday. “We did our job. We went over to the Olympics to win a gold medal and that’s what we did. I’ve had the best time of my life celebrating with my teammates that we accomplished our goal.”
He added, “I’m a hockey player. We’re so proud to be back in the U.S. and celebrating our gold medal and to do it with our teammates, that’s the best part.”
McRae found herself embroiled in a bit of Olympics controversy before the Games even got underway.
The singer, who is Canadian, appeared in an ad promoting NBC’s coverage of Team USA, which didn’t sit well with some of her fans.
McRae responded to the backlash via her Instagram Story, writing “… Y’all know I’m Canada down.”
In an exclusive interview with Us before the Olympics, Hughes explained how he was dealing with his increased presence in the pop culture landscape.
“The number one thing I focus on is my game,” Hughes said. “That’s the part I have the most fun with. Obviously there’s a lot of things that come with it. But the most fun thing is to go out to a sold-out rink, ball out and play well. That’s the most important thing for me.”
