Jack Hughes has had plenty of honors since he scored the game-winning goal in overtime to give the U.S. Men’s Hockey team the gold medal in the Olympics.
Throwing out the first pitch for Friday’s home opener at Yankee Stadium is near the top of the list.
Hughes, the Devils star, said he was a “big Yankee fan” and this opportunity was on his mind quickly.
“When everything went down [at the Olympics], this one thing I was wishing [and] hoping for,’’ Hughes said as the Yankees took on the Marlins in The Bronx. “Opening Day [at the Stadium] is almost too much. It’s a lot of pressure.”
Hughes got the honor alongside the goalie for the gold medal-winning women’s team, Aerin Frankel, a native of Briarcliff Manor, and a fellow Yankee fan.
They spent pregame on the field, with Hughes meeting Aaron Judge and Frankel getting a chance to reconnect with another Northeastern University star athlete, Cam Schlittler.
Frankel recalled coming to a game as a child and getting a ball from Derek Jeter at batting practice, while Hughes’ top memory came from a game in Toronto with his father, Jim.
“My dad sent me up for pretzels,’’ Hughes said. “He took my glove and a foul ball came up towards him as I was coming up the aisle. I don’t think he even stood up and it fell right in his glove.”
Like Frankel, Hughes said he still had the ball.
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