In NHL.com’s Q&A feature called “Sitting Down with…” we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. Today, we feature Luke Hughes, a New Jersey Devils prospect and sophomore defenseman for the University of Michigan.
Luke Hughes has witnessed firsthand many mind-blowing maneuvers by his brother, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughesthat NHL fans are beginning to see for themselves with regularity.
So, it wasn’t too much of a surprise when the University of Michigan defenseman received word that Jack scored from along the goal line with a wrist shot that hit the left post and banked into the net off the goalie’s mask in a 5-1. win against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 26. It was the second of three straight goals for Jack, who celebrated his first NHL hat trick.
“I think he’s done it multiple times in his career,” Luke said of the goal line shot. “I think he did it a couple times last year and I think more so when he was with the (USA Hockey) National Team Development Program Under-18 team. Trevor Zegras (Anaheim Ducks) and Cole Caufield (Montreal Canadiens) … so, they were doing that a ton.
“I think he’s kind of mastered that shot. It’s pretty cool to see that go in. I’ll try to add that to my game.”
Luke Hughes (6-foot-2, 184 pounds), selected No. 4 by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft, can take pride in the fact that he’s mastering his game as a sophomore this season with 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) and a plus-6 rating in 20 games. He’s expected to finish this season at the University of Michigan and then turn professional.
The youngest of the three Hughes siblings, including the Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hugheswas the first freshman since Matt Galadja of Cornell in 2018 to be named a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the best player in NCAA Division 1 men’s ice hockey last season after finishing as the nation’s top-scoring defenseman with 39 points ( 17 goals, 22 assists) in 41 games.
“It’s great to be recognized because there are some great players playing college hockey so it’s pretty cool to be the first freshman in a few years,” Hughes said. “But I don’t really focus much on that stuff. I just focus on the controllables.”
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Hughes is skating with the United States National Junior Team at the USA Hockey select camp in Plymouth, Michigan, this week. He discussed his brothers, his sophomore season with the Wolverines, and top 2023 NHL Draft-eligible forward Adam Fantilli in a wide-ranging Q&A with NHL.com.
What goals have you set for yourself this season at Michigan?
“I think everyone’s goal is to win a national championship and a Big 10 title. I think my role has grown on the team, just being a little more reliable defensively. I like where I’m at right now and I try to keep getting better, grow every game, get better every day in practice. I don’t think there’s one thing I took from last season into this season but I’m just trying to work on every aspect and to try to show that on the weekends by winning as many games as possible for the University of Michigan.”
What do you like about Michigan interim coach Brandon Naurato?
“He’s just a great communicator, really has relationships with everybody and is great on all fronts and in all aspects. I think he’s a players’ coach. He loves to coach skill and wants you to be the best possible person and player you can be. because, at the end of the day, that helps Michigan hockey win games. He loves the power play, but we also focus on the defensive side of things.”
Quinn Hughes is sixth in scoring among NHL defensemen with 25 assists while averaging 24:58 per game. What have you liked about your brother’s game at the position you play?
“He plays really hard defensively, closes on plays and makes clean exits when he does get the puck. He’s got great breakouts, boxes out pretty well, gets guys’ sticks, defensively. Offensively, he’s got unbelievable hockey sense. I think he’s mastered it. his exits and entries out of the defensive and offensive zone. He can do it with his feet, with his passing or his mind. When I watch him play, I’m like, ‘Wow, did he really make that pass?’ I think you can always get better at something, but he’s got so many great aspects to his game that whenever I watch him play, I usually end up learning something new.”
Does Jack look like a more confident, mature player out there this season for the Devils?
“He’s always had high-end skill, and, like I said, New Jersey is doing so well right now so he’s getting great opportunities. I think he’s definitely grown as a person and as a player. He’s always been a really good player, but I think he’s filling into his body, getting bigger and getting stronger and getting better every day. He’s having a great year right now and just has to keep it going.”
Are you surprised with how well former Michigan teammate Matty Beniers is playing in Seattle?
“I mean, he’s always been a great player. I play with him in the summer when our group skates together. He’s got high-end skill, is a great competitor and works hard for space on the ice. I expected him to do really well… he’s been great so far.”
Does first-line Michigan center Adam Fantilli (6-foot-2, 195 pounds), a projected first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, look like a freshman to you?
“No, he doesn’t. First of all, he’s a big boy, really strong on the puck and he makes hard plays. He doesn’t have any soft skills, but makes hard plays, can score, can move the puck, and has good hockey sense. He can fly out there and has got a lot of pop. He’s super powerful and just a great guy off the ice, too.”
Have you determined a major yet and what are a few of your favorite classes at Michigan?
“I’m kind of sports management. I loved taking history college athletics last year, just learning about college sports and a lot of stuff like that. This semester, I’m taking the history of Greek sports, where we’re learning about sports in ancient Greece and the history there. That’s been kind of interesting. So, I like that kind of stuff.”
How much are you looking forward to representing the United States at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship beginning later this month?
“Anytime you can wear the USA jersey, it’s an honor and I’m super excited. I’m really excited to get started with that.”
Photos: Michigan Photography
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