Luke Hughes is soon going to be the third Hughes brother to make his way to the NHL. But before the Devils prospect signs with New Jersey, the defenseman has business to take care of in Tampa.
Hughes, a sophomore at Michigan, is at the Frozen Four this weekend, where he and the Wolverines are hoping to be crowned college hockey national champions. Michigan faces Quinnipiac in the national semifinals, and a win puts them in the national championship game against either Minnesota or Boston University.
The younger sibling of NHL stars Quinn and Jack Hughes is one of the top prospects waiting in the wings to make the jump to the professional level.
All three Hughes siblings were selected in the top seven of their respective drafts, with Jack owning the bragging rights for being picked highest. He was the No. 1 overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, while Quinn was No. 7 to the Canucks in 2018 and Luke was No. 4 in 2021.
Here is everything you need to know about the Hughes brothers.
Hughes family tree
Quinn Hughes
The eldest Hughes sibling, Quinn, is a defenseman for the Canucks. A Norris Trophy winner in 2024, he is regarded as one of the best defenseman in the NHL.
Quinn began his career with the United States National Team Development Program in 2015. He spent two seasons with the program before heading to the University of Michigan. As a freshman, he set a school record for a defenseman with 24 assists. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Big Ten freshman team and the All-Big Ten second team.
After that sensational season, the Canucks selected Hughes with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft. He returned to the Wolverines for one more season before joining the Canucks at the end of the 2018-19 season.
Quinn was initially touted as an offense-first defenseman, and while he still excels in the passing game, his defense has evolved. He has learned to use his stick and positioning to break up plays and has become a strong, two-way defender in the NHL despite his size (5-10, 181 pounds).
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Jack Hughes
The middle brother, Jack, has been a huge part in the Devils’ rebuild in recent years. He has emerged as a bonafide star, centering the top line for New Jersey and quickly rising to be one of the bests coring centers in the league.
Jack is the lone Hughes sibling that did not play college hockey. Instead, he played two years with the national program, where he almost broke Auston Matthews’ single-season points record during the 2017-18 season. He followed that up by breaking the USNTDP career points record, smashing Clayton Keller’s mark of 189 by posting 228.
Hughes was taken with the first pick in the 2019 draft and made an immediate jump to the NHL. He showed last season that he could be the face of the Devils franchise, but injuries cut his campaign short. This year has truly been Jack’s coming-out party.
The Devils center has shown an ability to take over a game and he looks exactly like what a No. 1 pick should be. He has extremely slick hands, which allows him to put defenders in a blender and make his way around goaltenders. Hughes is only 23, and he’s only going to get better.
Luke Hughes
Luke is the youngest Hughes sibling and a defenseman on the Devils, where he plays with Jack.
The youngest Hughes brother followed in Quinn and Jack’s footsteps by playing for the national program at the U17 and U18 level before jumping to the NCAA. Prior to his freshman season at Michigan, the Devils selected him with the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
He enjoyed a sensational freshman season in Ann Arbor. He led all NCAA defensemen with 17 goals and was third on the team. His 39 points were also third on the team. He earned Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, Big Ten All-Freshman and second-team All-Big Ten honors. As a sophomore, he followed it up with All-Big Ten First Team honor before making the jump to the NHL in 2023.
Hughes is an offense-first defenseman who excels with the puck on his stick on the rush. He was on Team USA at the 2022 and 2023 World Juniors, helping the team to a bronze medal at the most recent tournament. That game has transitioned into the NHL, where his offense has been stelar, while he continues to work on his defensive game.
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