6:30 AM
The moment Jack Hughes stepped off the ice in the New Jersey Devil's season opener, he turned to a team staffer and threw his stick into the crowd.
"Am I going to get in trouble?"
On Sunday afternoons, Hughes is on his couch watching football. He knows how the taunting rule stirs controversy. Hockey is more reserved than football, with players rarely flexing their personality off the ice. Hughes had never seen an NHL player throw a stick. He doesn't know why he did it. He was drunk when he played in front of a full barn with a crowd that was "buzzing all night".
He knows that the boys loved it. What about the suits in the NHL office?
You don't know what the league thinks. I didn't know. If I get fined a lot, I'm not taking it. The team needs to pick this up.
His concerns were no longer relevant. The league shared the twig-throwing heroics on its social channels and wrote a story about it on its website. Hughes' phone was ringing off the hook with messages from his friend, Anaheim Ducks forward Zegras.
Hughes said that he had 10 texts from him and he was laughing. I was like, 'What are you talking about?' and he was like, 'Go look at my goal.'
Zegras launched his stick into the Anaheim crowd after scoring the overtime winner.
Hughes said that he was like, "That's nasty." The last few weeks we were talking about it. I wouldn't be surprised if one of my friends did it as well.
Hughes' story is often told by his family, which has impressive hockey credentials. Ellen played for the U.S. women's team at the 1992 World Cup. Jim was a star at Providence College and went on to play in the NHL. Jack's older brother,Quinn, is a star for the Canuck and younger brother,luke, was drafted by the New JerseyDevils in July.
Hughes cringes watching the clip now, but he is justified in justifying it. There are so many things to line up.
Growing up as the middle brother in a hockey-obsessed family shaped Jack, but it's not the only thing that defines him. The No. 1 center in the NHL has an electric personality and is ready to let loose.
"You can sense that the culture is changing," Hughes said. It's not an old man's game anymore. A lot of young kids are coming in with confidence.
Hughes has always had a hockey ceiling. "Super talented, smooth, obviously great hands, vision, and play-making ability." Ty Smith said that he is someone who can do it all. He could be in the mix for one of the best players in the league very soon. He could put up 100 points.
It's why Hughes was given an eight-year, $64 million extension by the Devils, despite having only played in the NHL for a short time.
The potential is just as great off the ice. Hughes was drafted by the New JerseyDevils in the first round of the NHL draft in 2019. In his third season, Hughes feels comfortable enough to rely on. If he leans in authentically, he could challenge the status quo and become a star. The hockey player interview is where the pronoun "I" is avoided at all costs and true opinions are never shared.
Hughes said that guys tend to want to be short with reporters. I've been at fault for that at times. You don't want to say too much or you are in a comfort zone after a game. I'm starting to be myself now that I'm older. I'm a happy guy. I have a happy face most of the day. I like hanging out with my friends.
I think people think I'm arrogant. I'm pretty confident, but I'm happy and I enjoy what I'm doing.
It was a process for Hughes to get to this point. He had never dreamed of being drafted No. 1 overall. Hughes was whisked away on a private jet after celebrating with his family and teammates at the draft.
Hughes said that he took his first PJ from Canada to New Jersey. Went to a Yankees game that night with Reggie Jackson. It was a sick weekend. It was very nasty.
Hughes made the roster at 18. His first season as a pro.
He said he hated it.
Hughes had a big moment in his first campaign when he faced his brother, but there were many other tough times.
The expectations are high for a top overall pick, especially one that makes the opening night roster. A team that is inherently bad wins the draft lottery. The team Hughes joined was not in great shape. The state of New Jersey was winless in its first six games. The best player in the team, Taylor Hall, was traded in December after the team fired their coach. Ray Shero, the GM who drafted Hughes, was let go by January.
Hughes struggled in his transition to hockey. He said that you're the first overall pick and then you're in the NHL. "You've got Crosby the next night, and then you've got [Connor] McDavid the next night, and then you've got [Brad] Marchand the next night, and then you've got [Sidney
You can cast your vote to determine the captain for the NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas in 2022. Fans can submit their votes at NHL.com and via the NHL app.
Hughes scored seven goals and 21 points in 61 games.
Life came at him quickly.
I was lucky if I had a burrito once a week because I was living at home and driving a car my parents paid for. I would have to ask my parents if I could go with my friends. You're making a million bucks playing in front of live arenas the next year. You have a lot of hype. I wish I could have played better, but I wouldn't want to change it. I think that going through adversity will make me the player that I am.
Hughes was still developing physically. He gained 14 pounds of muscle in his second season. He increased his production from 0.34 points per game to 0.55 points per game, but still felt like he was a player. He never lost his confidence. He said that he could go five games without a point and still think he was the man.
Hughes said the Pandemic hit helped ground him. The NHL season was put on pause in 2020 and he returned to his family's home in Michigan.
He said that it allowed him to relax and think about where he wants to go. "That was a good time for me to look at myself in the mirror and think."
The environment is one of the reasons Hughes feels like he can show up and be himself. The youngest team in the NHL is the Devils.
Hughes said that Hischier is 23 years old. We're learning how to win on the ice. I wouldn't say it's a party in the locker room, but it's a lot of fun.
P.K. Subban is known for pushing boundaries of what we expect from hockey players off the ice, which is why he is the elder statesman in the locker room.
He's had a great career, but he's got other things going on outside of hockey. It's a good thing for young guys to look at. I'm invested in hockey at times. It's hockey, hockey, hockey. We have the rest of our lives as well. He's involved in other things and that's a good thing.
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Hughes is a big fan of the NBA and the National Football League. He is a student of other sports' superstars.
He says he loves Jack Grealish. I watched the Euro Cup and he was nasty so I caught onto that. And then the King. He's the goat in my mind because I grew up loving basketball.
Hughes' extracurriculars don't stray too far from what a typical 20-year-old does. In their free time, Hughes and Smith like to explore Jersey City and Hoboken on their electric scooters.
"You can't compare the bagels, and I won't even touch the pizza back home," says Hughes, making sure he adds that there are also "elite delis" in New Jersey. They set up a camp on their couch on Sunday to watch Red Zone, where they would "sewer each other" while following their fantasy league. It's always moving back and forth.
Smith said that Hughes has come a long way in the kitchen.
Smith says that was a big flaw of his. His specialty was probably scrambled eggs. He can do a lot of things this year, and it's not bad. He gets the job done.
The job is being done on the ice. After missing 17 games with a shoulder injury, Hughes is back. The center has nine points in his last four games, including a game-winner in overtime, after taking a few games to ease back in.
Hughes' confidence is high. He never wants to lose his sense of self as he becomes a hockey star. Continuing to surprise is what that means.
If he didn't play hockey, Hughes would be a surfer. I feel like that is my personality away from the rink. It was like low-key, happy just chilling. I would be happy. It's all over. Nothing crazy.
