April 8, 2023
CHN Staff Report
The New Jersey Devils today signed defenseman Luke Hughes, the fourth-overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2022-23 season.
Hughes, 19, completed his sophomore season with Michigan this weekend, when the Wolverines lost in the NCAA semifinal to Quinnipiac. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound defenseman ranked second on Michigan for scoring this season with 42 points, along with nine goals. Hughes’ 42 points also ranked second for all NCAA blueliners in 2022-23.
Of his many NCAA accolades, Hughes scored his first NCAA hat trick, and added a fourth goal, vs Penn State on Jan. 28, 2023. He was named First Team All-CHN defenseman this season.
Hughes has also represented the United States on the international stage. The defenseman earned a silver medal at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2020 and skated for Team USA at the IIHF’s World Junior Championship in 2022 and 2023. Team USA named Hughes team captain for the 2023 WJC, where he led all defensemen in the tournament with four goals, and captained USA to a Bronze Medal. He also played for Team USA at the IIHF’s 2022 World Championship.
New Jersey selected Luke’s older brother, Jack, with the first-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft. Luke’s eldest brother, Quinn, who also played two years at Michigan, was selected by Vancouver with the seventh-overall selection in the 2018 NHL Draft. Luke and Jack will mark the third set of brothers to play for the franchise simultaneously. Patrik and Peter Sundstrom played for New Jersey in 1989-90, while Bob and Paul Miller played for Colorado in 1981-82.
Hughes was CHN Rookie of the Year in 2021-22, when he ranked third in scoring on the team with 39 points (17g-22a) in 41 games played. His total ranked first for all NCAA defensemen in 2021-22, and Hughes earned the Michigan school record for most goals and points scored by a freshman defenseman in a single season.
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