New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes says San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini is a close friend of his and his family.

New Jersey Devils star young defenseman Luke Hughes said that San Jose Sharks star rookie Macklin Celebrini lived with his family for two weeks over the summer to train for the 24-25 season.

"He stayed with us for two weeks in the summer," Hughes said. "He's a good friend and a really good guy. [I] enjoy training with him and hanging out with him when he's in town."

Celebrini has trained with other NHL stars like Connor Bedard and Kent Johnson.

Hughes told THN what being around the 2024 No. 1 pick was like when he's not playing hockey.

"Away from the rink, he's a really fun guy," Hughes said. "[He] just goes with the flow and [is a] really happy guy. He's fun to be around."

After missing the start of the season with an injury, Hughes has found his game and is beginning to produce for the Devils. In his last ten games, he has two goals and six assists. He's currently paired on defense with Brett Pesce. 

THN asked the defenseman how he and the New Jersey Devils plan to stop Celebrini and Will Smith when the two teams play tomorrow afternoon; Hughes didn't have an answer. 

"I don't know. We'll figure that one out tomorrow," Hughes said after practice on Friday.

The 21-year-old Hughes is another product of the recent surge in top prospects from the NCAA. Hughes attended Michigan University and was drafted No. 4 overall in 2021. If Hughes and Pesce are matched up against Celebrini's line tomorrow, at least five skaters on the ice will have attended college in the U.S.

Celebrini - Boston University
Smith - Boston College
Collin Graf - Quinnipiac
Hughes - Michigan
Pesce - Univ. of New Hampshire 

"It's pretty cool. I think there are a lot of college hockey players out there. It's a really good path for a lot of people," Hughes said. 

Celebrini commented on the same subject:

"I picked the NCAA because I want to play against older competition, especially Hockey East. The year I was there was probably the best conference, and it had the most top 20 teams," Celebrini said. "It was great preparation. We had a hard schedule, so he couldn't really take a night off playing against guys who were five or six years older than me. I felt like that was all really important in order to get ready for the next step."

The No. 1 pick emphasized that picking the NCAA over the CHL didn't mean it doesn't produce top-level NHL talent; instead, it is a personal preference. 

Hughes played with Smith at the 2024 IIHF World Championships and says the San Jose Sharks have NHL superstars on their hands.

"We train hard in Michigan. Seeing [Celebrini] out there and how he fits in really well just translated into his game," Hughes said. "He's a really good player, and he's gonna be a really special player. [Smith and Celebrini] are in good hands."

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