Jack Hughes
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
Team: Northeastern University
Pos.: C | Shoots: L | Size: 6-0, 165 | Age: 18
New England Hockey Journal's No. 1 prospect eligible for the 2022 NHL Draft; Named to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team; Played in all 36 regular-season games as a Northeastern freshman, scoring seven goals (third-most on the team) and eight assists; Spent the previous two seasons playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program; Youngest player in Division 1 men’s hockey in 2021-22; didn’t turn 18 until Nov. 2
Favorites
Pregame meal: “Usually pasta. Keep it simple.”
Road rink: “I like playing at BC. I went to a lot of games there when I was younger.”
Drill in practice: “I like playing small-ice games or doing something like 3-on-2s off the rush.”
Vacation spot: “Anywhere warm. Anywhere on the beach with water.”
Musician: Lil Baby
Pregame song: “There’s probably five or six that I listen to before every game, but probably ‘Emotionally Scarred’ by Lil Baby.”
Movie: “Step Brothers”
TV show: “Game of Thrones”
Video game: “Fortnite. Not anymore, but that’s definitely one I played a lot.”
Sport other than hockey: Lacrosse
Sports team: Boston Bruins
Favorite NHL player: Patrick Kane
Non-hockey athlete: Jayson Tatum
Equipment
Helmet: Bauer
Stick: CCM
Gloves: Bauer
Skates: CCM
Why Jack Hughes is our top-ranked area draft eligible player:
https://vimeo.com/showcase/9394616/video/692371673
In his own words
How would you describe yourself as a player? Who has been your biggest NHL influence, and why?
“I would say my game is a two-way, playmaking game. I think when I’m playing well I make the players around me better. I think my biggest strengths are my skill and my hockey sense. It’s hard to pick one player who I model my game after, but I’ve always loved watching David Krejci or (Pavel) Datsyuk, guys like that who aren’t the fastest skaters in the world but they find other ways to make plays.”
As you reflect back on the regular season, how do you feel you’ve grown the most?
“The guys on the team made it much easier. We didn’t really feel like freshmen. It’s definitely easier having a brother (Riley, junior assistant captain) here. He’s kind of taught me what to expect, what it’s like and just told me to be confident in what I can do and go out there and do what he knows I can.”
You mentioned feeling comfortable right away as a freshman. How much does it help being surrounded by players like captain Jordan Harris (Haverhill, Mass.) and one of your recent linemates, Aidan McDonough (Milton, Mass.)?
“Yeah, it helps a ton. It’s the opposite of pressure from those guys. They’re not screaming at guys. They’re holding guys accountable, give us all confidence and they want us to do what we can do best. They teach us along the way, but they’re super supportive of us as well. Then, we want to win and we’re all pulling for each other.
On the ice, what do you learn from those guys?
“There’s definitely a lot of things about (McDonough’s) goal scoring. He’s always ready to shoot and always gets to the areas where you score goals. It makes it easier playing with him because you know where he’s going to be and he’s always ready. He’s such a gifted scorer. He can score from anywhere. It’s unbelievable.”
What did the opportunity to play with Riley mean to you?
“It’s awesome. It’s something I’ve looked forward to my whole life. It was going to happen in high school (at St. Sebastian’s) and we missed out when I was a freshman and he was a senior. It has been really cool, especially being on the same line. It kind of helped a little bit because I’ve watched him my whole life and kind of know what he’s doing. It was big because he helped me and the other freshmen fit in off the ice. On the ice, he’s one of my biggest supporters and always tells me to be confident.”
Your dad, Kent, is a former NHL agent and was recently named GM of the Montreal Canadiens. That certainly changes things up for a Bruins fan, right?
“A little bit, yeah. It’s hard to root for the Canadiens and the Bruins, but I have to now. We’re all really proud of him. I think it’s something we thought he’d be good at having been an agent and working with player development his whole life. I know he’s going to do a great job. It was really cool to see. Both of my parents grew up in Montreal, so we’d go up there and visit a couple times a year and … hopefully we can get back up there soon.”
How have Riley and your dad influenced your career?
“I can’t really remember how young I was, but my dad was always my coach up until my freshman year of high school. He taught me pretty much everything I know about hockey. And my brother, I’ve trained with him and skated with him pretty much my whole life. He was always playing with older guys and always pushed me to be good instead of just trying to hang on. They’ve both been instrumental in my development as a player, pushing me on and off the ice to make better decisions.”
An incredible final weekend of the regular season ended with your team sweeping Merrimack and vaulting ahead of UMass to win the Hockey East championship. What is one thing that going through the grind of a college season has taught you?
“You learn that every game, every second, every puck battle matters a lot. The main thing is that we’re all in this together and we’re all trying to win the championship. Nothing individual matters especially when you get to the playoffs. It’s all about how you work and how you compete for each other.”
What is your favorite hockey memory?
“I’d probably say the first game here at Matthews Arena this year. I came to the games in the past to watch my brother, and it’s just such an amazing atmosphere. It’s a historic place, the Bruins played here years ago. It’s crazy to walk in here and see all that. Having come here a lot, it was really special to skate out there and play with my brother. It was really fun, especially with all the fans in the stands.”
The NHL draft is up next. With so many NHL picks already on the roster, how have your teammates and coaches helped prepare you for that process?
“I kind of went through it last year with all of my (NTDP) teammates kind of thinking, ‘Oh, I have to do better’ or ‘I have to score more.’ Something my dad has taught me is that nothing at this point means anything at least for a pro career. It doesn’t matter whether you get drafted in the first round or seventh round or if you’re undrafted because it matters what you do from there on. … Sometimes I get frustrated if I go a long time without scoring or whatever it is, but my teammates tell me to keep playing my game and doing the things I’m doing well.”
What is your major at Northeastern? Favorite class?
“I’m a business major. I’d have to say Innovation is probably my favorite class so far. A lot are pretty similar, but you get to think outside the box in that one and relate business to everyday life and creating ideas.”
