No one inside T-Mobile Arena was more concerned than Luke Hughes when his brother Jack Hughes crashed into the boards behind Adin Hill's net after colliding with Vegas Golden Knights' forward Jack Eichel on Sunday night.
The young New Jersey Devils defenseman watched from the bench as Jack skated off the ice in visible pain, hunched over.
Days later, the organization announced that the 2019 first-overall pick had undergone shoulder surgery and would be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR). He is expected to make a full recovery and be available for training camp.
After Thursday's practice, Luke Hughes spoke to the media.
"Very disappointing and sad for him," he said to reporters. "He is going to come back, and he is going to be even better next year. Stuff happens. There are bigger problems in the world. We are pretty lucky guys. Everyone here in the organization is proud of him. We are going to miss him, but we need to step up as a team and fill those shoes."
New Jersey's star center took to social media to post a message on his public Instagram account.
"Some thoughts I wanted to share. Sports/Life can break you down, can be unfair. All the preparation, sacrifice, emotion, training, toughness you put into a year can be wasted within a matter of seconds. I know I'm not the first athlete to face the challenges that comes with injuries, and I certainly will not be the last. But this is another hill to climb. The more adversity I face, the more I will believe in myself, the deeper I will dig into who I am, in the pursuit of being the best version of myself. I am excited to work towards recovery so I can continue to pour my heart and soul into the game I love. Thanks to all my family, friends, teammates for your love and support. To all the Devils fans and fans of mine, thank you, and I look forward to doing what I enjoy most in front of you for many years to come."
The Devils have 19 games remaining and are third in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points. In addition to Hughes, New Jersey is without defensemen Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler.
"At the end of the day, you've just got to do your job," Hughes said. "The team needs guys to step up. We have a lot of injuries and we just need guys to step up and do their job."
The Devils' next test will be Friday night when the club hosts the Winnipeg Jets at Prudential Center.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
EXCLUSIVE: Q&A With MSG Networks Host & Analyst Rachel Herzog
Hischier’s Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He’s Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'