Jack Hughes sat down with New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein days after being drafted by the Devils first overall in 2019. He shared his feelings about his legacy and who he would be with Stein.
Jack told Stein, “I don’t want to be the next Patrick Kane. I want to be Jack Hughes. I want kids to want to be Jack Hughes.”
Seven years later, Jack Hughes has made history scoring the overtime game-winning goal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, earning a gold medal for the United States of America.
During those seven years, Hughes has racked up significant accolades.
While playing 404 NHL games with the Devils, he has earned 387 points: 153 goals and 234 assists. The 24-year-old has become a franchise player for the Devils.
Hughes became the eighth-youngest player in Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts history to get a hat trick.
He became the first Devils player to score 40 goals in a season since Zach Parise netted 45 in 2008-09 during a 5-3 win against the Ottawa Senators on March 25, 2023.
Finally, he became the fastest player in franchise history (325 games played) to reach 300 points.
He has played in two NHL All-Star games, first in 2022 and again in 2023. His best season was 2022-23, when he recorded a career-high 99 points in 78 games.
The attention he received on the national level during the Olympics further highlights the skills he has brought to the Devils over the last seven seasons.
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