Hughes flashes new smile at Yankees opener

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes displayed his repaired smile at the New York Yankees' home opener against the Miami Marlins on April 3, 2026. The Team USA Olympian, who lost several teeth to a stick during the gold medal game, threw a ceremonial first pitch alongside women's hockey goaltender Aerin Frankel at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

Hughes sustained the injury in overtime during Team USA's victory over Canada at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 22. He scored the game-winner in that match and later expressed hope the first-pitch honor would follow. "Like, when everything went down, this was, like, the one thing I was wondering if it would happen," Hughes said, according to NHL.com. "I knew a lot of things were coming, but I was like, ‘This is the one thing I was always like wishing, slash, hoping for, and then I was like, ’Opening Day. Like, wow. That's, that's almost too much, man. That's a lot of pressure."

Hughes prepared by throwing about 50 pitches before a morning skate, leaving his shoulder sore. Frankel, a New York native, joined the event as both U.S. teams captured gold for the first time in the same Olympics. "It's been awesome," she said. "So much fun being at the Olympics with the men's team, getting to support them, watch them win a gold medal. First time in history the women's and men's teams have done that together. So, to be able to continue the celebration here in New York for opening day was so much fun."

The appearance extended Olympic festivities into the baseball season for the athletes.