Got sad thinking about something today. The Hughes brothers are like the biggest brothers to ever brother. They are so proud of each other and would yap to everyone about how any of them is amazing. They are also so so so protective. "How did Luke get injured ?" - "I won't answer to this question." Or sums.
But it must have been hard growing up with all those expectations. A famous mother, a famous father. They never had something for just themselves.
Quinn got to do all the things first then Jack then Luke. Quinn was first to get drafted. Then Jack then Luke. All in the NHL with so much pressure. But at least Jack had Luke. Quinn was alone in Vancouver. Then he was Captain and it was finally something he had for himself and would have for a while. It was also so much more pressure. Jack and Luke were so proud of him, who wouldn't ? Their big brother is a Captain. But then the pressure was too much because hockey in Canada is awful if you are alone and too nice. He gave back the C and went to Minnesota. Back to being "just" a Hughes. (We all know he is more than "just" a Hughes, one or the best D in the NHL, an amazing skater, ... Quinny.)
The press always asking their parents "who is the favourite child ?" (I can't get over Jim saying so fast "Jack" that one time tbh)
The OG happened. No Luke which sucked. Quinn had the OT goal against Sweden and then Jack the one against Canada. They once again shared something together.
So yeah. I guess they aren't meant to have something just for them. The only time it happened, Quinn became a stray and ended up in Minnesota surrounded by big hyperactive boys. (Which.... might have been the best thing to happen to him in years tbh.)
No idea what my point was. Maybe just they are platonic soulmates. (I was about to say codependants then I remembered the Minnycule and nope. THEY are worse than the Hugheses.)
you & me 🤝 getting sad about the hughes brothers
(this one's kind of long so i put it under the cut)
i think about this alot. like sure, all three of them always say their parents didn’t force them into hockey, and jim & ellen always corroborate this. and i’m sure to a certain extent, it’s true—i think hockey happened to be the most obviously convenient sport to get the boys involved in, and obviously jim & ellen have a lot of love for the sport that i’m sure they passed on to their kids.
but also, think about the pressure of it all: you get into hockey at a young age, and because of who your parents are, hockey is a huge part of your life, and you have a lot of opportunities to become very skilled from a young age. and when you’re good at a sport early on, there’s so much pressure encouragement to stay with that sport and keep improving, and once you get involved at the club level, most people don’t just quit. especially when that might be the thing your parents praise you for the most, both directly and to other people. quinn in particular has talked about not being a super high performer academically (or at least, he’s expressed he didn’t try very hard, and that he thinks jack & luke have greater strengths in that area). so you’re not getting loads of accolades school-wise, and doing well at hockey gets you attention and praise from the two people you’re biologically predisposed to desire it from the most—why wouldn’t you throw yourself into that headlong?
i think in many ways, the hughes boys probably sublimated hockey as a “them” thing simply by virtue of their parents’ achievements, interests, and encouragement—hockey isn’t necessarily not “something for just themselves ,” but it was, to a certain extent, an inevitability. and especially when you’re siblings who are so close (and so close in age), and you share so much of that identity built around hockey, of course then you become each other’s competition and inspiration.
the media’s influence doesn’t help either: each of them successively is expected to measure up to whomever came before, subject to constant comparison. like you’re just trying to share in this thing with your brothers, but all anyone will ever talk about is how you are or aren’t meeting the “standards” set by them. it never gets to be about just you and your accomplishments—and i think they all knew that would be the case, but the actual experience is always going to hit difference, no matter the preparation.
and then on top of the comparisons, there’s also that weird thing the media does about who’s the favorite, or who’s best at xyz, as you mentioned. i think sometimes they take it in stride and it’s all good fun, but even if it’s not meant to be serious…imagine watching your dad “joke” to the media that he prefers your brother over you? like on some level that has to hurt. there’s also the divide between who the three of them see as the biggest momma’s boy (quinn) vs. who they think is her favorite (jack). honestly that’s where a lot of my inspiration for tab 1 came from. like yeah, it’s stupid, and it’s all supposed to be in jest, but the fact that they all acknowledge that quinn tries hardest to be closest to their parents, but he isn’t “their favorite”?? oof, is all i can really say.
anyway idk what my point was either lmao but there’s definitely a lot there to think about, many hurtful things to consider. i think the pressure they grew up with + relatively negligible age difference is part of why they do seem so codependent. like personally, i love my brother (though we are also 7 years apart), but if i was a professional athlete i don’t know that’d i’d be flying back and forth to see him multiple times within a short time span. they definitely have something unique and particularly close.
