Jack Hughes: A Rising Star in the NHL
Jack Rowden Hughes, born on May 14, 2001, is an American professional ice hockey player who currently serves as a center and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Hughes comes from a family of ice hockey athletes and has represented the United States men's national team internationally.
Early Life and Background
Jack Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida, into a hockey family. He grew up in Toronto, playing youth hockey for the Toronto Marlboros while his father worked for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs as the director of player development. His family has a strong hockey background. His older brother, Quinn, was drafted seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. His uncle Ryan played briefly in the NHL. His uncle Marty last played in the British National League for the Dundee Stars, and his cousin, Teddy Doherty, last played for the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL. It is the ninth family to have at least three brothers play in the same NHL game and became the ninth family to have three brothers drafted in the first round of the NHL Draft.
Hughes cites Patrick Kane as his favorite player, admiring their similar smaller stature. Growing up, Hughes played a variety of sports, including ice hockey and baseball.
Junior Career
Hughes had great success at the junior level for USA Hockey. He won four medals in a two-year span, including a gold medal at the U17 World Championship in 2018.
Before Northeastern, Hughes played with the USA U18 team in the World Championships and put up one goal with one assist in four games. He played for two seasons in the NTDP (USHL), amassing nine goals and 17 assists in 43 games. As part of the National U18 team (USDP), he recorded eight goals and 26 assists in 38 games. With the U17 team (USDP), he had three goals with four assists in six games during the World Championships.
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Hughes kept his commitment and played with the USNTDP for the 2017-18 season. During the 2018-19 season, Hughes broke the NTDP all-time points record that was previously held by Clayton Keller. In a 12-4 win over the Green Bay Gamblers on March 15, 2019, he recorded five points to give him 190 overall.
NHL Career
Draft and Entry into the NHL
On June 21, 2019, at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils. On July 12, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Devils.
Early Seasons
Hughes recorded his first career NHL point on October 17, in a game against the New York Rangers.
2022-23 Season: Breakthrough Performance
The 2022-23 season saw Hughes hitting career highs in goals (43), assists (56) and points (99), while leading the Devils to third in the NHL and a franchise-high 52 wins. Hughes' 43 goals placed him top-ten in the NHL among goal-scorers, while his 99 points set a franchise record for most points in a season. In his playoff debut against the New York Rangers, Hughes scored his first playoff goal on a penalty shot against goaltender Igor Shesterkin in a 5-1 loss at home in Game 1.
2023-24 Season: Injuries and Milestones
The first six games of the 2023-24 season saw Hughes put up 17 points, a total that had not been reached so quickly since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96, who also scored 17 in six games. On November 3, 2023, during the Devils' 4-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Hughes fell into the boards at high speed and left the game with a shoulder injury. He returned to play on November 18, recording a goal and an assist in a 5-3 loss against the New York Rangers.
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On December 16, Hughes recorded his 100th NHL goal in his 267th NHL game, becoming the fastest Devil to reach the 100-goal milestone and the second-fastest in franchise history. In January, Hughes was named to his third career and third consecutive All-Star Game, where he, his brother Quinn, and Michael Bublé were named co-captains of one of the teams. Hughes sustained an upper-body injury for the second time that season on January 5, when he fell awkwardly late in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, and was unable to participate in the All-Star Game. He returned to play on February 8, after missing 11 games. On April 9, it was announced that Hughes would undergo shoulder surgery and would miss the remainder of the season.
International Career
Hughes has represented the United States in several international tournaments. He played two under-17 tournaments representing the United States, the 2017 Four Nations Cup, where he scored two goals and six points in six games, and the 2017 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he scored five goals and fifteen points in ten games. On December 23, 2018, Hughes was selected to compete at the 2019 World Junior Championships alongside his brother Quinn. Hughes missed three games of the tournament with an undisclosed injury but returned to the lineup in time to help the United States beat the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. In his return, Hughes recorded an assist on a goal by Noah Cates. Hughes ended the tournament with four assists as the United States lost to Finland in the gold medal game. On May 1, 2019, Hughes was named to the United States senior team to compete at the 2019 World Championship, again alongside Quinn. In 2025, Hughes represented the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, where they finished in second place. Olympic team their first men's ice hockey gold medal since the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Personal Life and Interests
Hughes is a reported avid reader and has brought books such as Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer on trips with his team, and reads during his down time. While speaking with his brother Quinn, after backlash regarding the inclusion of FBI director Kash Patel and laughing to President Donald Trump's comments of being impeached if he did not invite the women's team to the White House, Hughes stated he felt that the backlash was both nonsense and "people making something out of nothing." He continued, stating that the women's team was aware that the men's team supports them and both teams celebrated the men's team win together.
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