The University of Michigan said what many New Jersey Devils [and maybe even NHL] fans have been thinking. However, things are now more complicated.
At the end of last season, the Devils announced that their top priority was re-signing Luke Hughes to a long-term deal. That was back in May. General manager Tom Fitzgerald later added that contract negotiations would begin after the Fourth of July. Now, with September approaching, there’s still no deal in place.
A recent report from NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky revealed that negotiations haven’t been going smoothly. The holdup reportedly centers on the length of the contract. After months of silence, frustration boiled over, this time not from fans, but from Luke’s former school.
In a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter), the University of Michigan hockey account poked fun at the delay in Hughes’ contract talks. The post was quickly removed, but not before Devils fans took notice.
In today’s world of social media branding, the playful post may have seemed like a good idea at first. After all, Michigan’s social media team said what plenty of fans were already thinking. But it also made sense that they deleted it, especially once the post started circulating.
Why Michigan? Luke Hughes played two seasons with the Wolverines before being drafted fourth overall by the Devils in 2021. In that time, he made a lasting impact on the program.
- He scored 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 37 games.
- He set a Michigan record for most goals by a freshman defenseman (17), breaking Dean Turner’s mark of 13 from 1975–76.
- He also set the record for most points by a Michigan freshman defenseman (36), surpassing Jack Johnson’s 32.
Given his history at Michigan, it’s not surprising the school would publicly support him, even if the post has since been retracted.
Still, the message hit close to home for Devils fans, who continue to echo the same sentiment: Pay the kid.