Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes (born May 14, 2001) is an American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). A product of the U.S. National Development Team, Hughes was drafted first overall by the Devils in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Minor and major junior career
While playing with the Mississauga Rebels of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), Hughes applied for exceptional status to be able to enter the Canadian Hockey League a year early. After his application was denied, he played his final year with the Toronto Marlboros, putting up 159 points.

After completing his minor career with the Marlboros, Hughes was drafted eighth overall by the Mississauga Steelheads in the Ontario Hockey League, despite his commitment to the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP). Hughes kept his commitment and played with the USNTDP for the 2017–18 season. Splitting his time between the U17 and U18 teams, he put up 116 points, nearly beating Auston Matthews's record. At the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, Hughes was awarded the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award as the best American-born player in junior ice hockey.

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. In the same game, teammate Cole Caufield broke the NTDP record for most goals.

New Jersey Devils
On June 21, 2019, at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils. On July 12, Hughes signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Devils. Hughes recorded his first career NHL point on October 17, in a game against the New York Rangers. In doing so, he became the third-youngest player in franchise history to record a point. Two days later, he recorded his first career NHL goal in a 1–0 win over the Vancouver Canucks and his older brother, Quinn.

In the first game of the 2021–22 season, on October 15, 2021, against the Chicago Blackhawks, Hughes scored an overtime goal to win the game 4–3, his second goal of the game, and tossed his stick into the crowd in an iconic celebration that was later replicated by Anaheim Ducks forward and former NTDP linemate Trevor Zegras, and then again by Hughes at the All-Star Game. On November 30, 2021, Hughes signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Devils. The season was considered a breakout year for Hughes, despite missing seventeen games in October after dislocating his shoulder. He was selected to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2022, becoming the first player from the 2019 NHL draft class to be selected as an All-Star. In early April 2022, after scoring a new career high of 26 goals and 30 assists in 49 games, the season ended on a disappointing note when Hughes sustained an MCL sprain after a hit by New York Islanders right wing Oliver Wahlstrom, as a result of which he missed the final 13 games.

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. Hughes was selected for his second career All-Star Game and qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in his career. His franchise-record 99th point, which he recorded in the final game of the 2022–23 regular season, was an assist on the overtime game-winner and first career goal by his brother, Luke Hughes, who had just joined the Devils one game prior. Hughes was also nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, an award granted to the player exhibiting the best "sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability".

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. Hughes' goal made him only the fourth player in NHL history to score their first career postseason goal on a penalty shot. Hughes went on to have three goals and five points in the series, with the Devils eliminating the Rangers in seven games and advancing to the Second Round for the first time since the 2011–12 season. They were eliminated in the second round in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes.

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. 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 2024, 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. He finished the season with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games.

International play
Hughes 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. The Americans would claim gold at each event.

At the 2018 World U18 Championship, Hughes led the tournament with seven assists and twelve points in seven games, and was selected as the tournament MVP, named to the media all-star team, and chosen as the best forward of the tournament.

On December 23, 2018, Hughes was selected to compete at the 2019 World Junior Championship alongside his brother Quinn. Hughes missed three games of the tournament with an undisclosed injury but returned to the lineup in time to help Team USA beat the Czech Republic. He recorded an assist on Noah Cates's goal in his return. Hughes ended the tournament with four assists as Team USA lost to Team Finland in the gold medal match. He later competed at the 2019 World U18 Championship, where he broke Alexander Ovechkin's goals scored record as Team USA won a bronze medal.

On May 1, 2019, Hughes was named to the senior United States roster to compete at the 2019 IIHF World Championship alongside his brother. At the age of 17, Hughes became the youngest player to represent Team USA at an IIHF World Championship. On December 6, 2019, Hughes' NHL team, the New Jersey Devils, announced they would not release him to play for Team USA at the 2020 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Personal life
Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida, but grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He cited his favorite player as Patrick Kane due to their similar smaller stature. Hughes played a variety of sports growing up, including ice hockey and baseball. Hughes is Jewish, had a bar mitzvah, and grew up celebrating Passover. His mother is Jewish and his father is Catholic, and he studied at Iona Catholic Secondary School.

Hughes comes from a family of ice hockey athletes. His older brother, Quinn, was drafted seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. His younger brother, Luke, was drafted fourth overall by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. Their father, Jim Hughes, is a former ice hockey player and team captain for Providence College, an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins, and the director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer at the University of New Hampshire and, in 2012, was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame. She also played for the United States women's national ice hockey team, and won a silver medal at the 1992 World Championship. His uncle Marty, and his cousin, Teddy Doherty, were also both involved in ice hockey. Marty last played in the British National League for the Dundee Stars, and Teddy last played for the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL.