Minor and major junior career

While playing with the Mississauga Rebels of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), Hughes applied for exceptional status to be able to enter the Canadian Hockey League a year early.^[1] After his application was denied, he played his final year with the Toronto Marlboros, putting up 159 points.

After completing his minor career with the Marlboros, Hughes was drafted eighth overall by the Mississauga Steelheads in the Ontario Hockey League, despite his commitment to the U.S. National Team Development Program (USNTDP).^[2] Hughes kept his commitment and played with the USNTDP for the 2017–18 season. Splitting his time between the U17 and U18 teams, he put up 116 points, nearly beating Auston Matthews's record.^[3] At the conclusion of the 2017–18 season, Hughes was awarded the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award as the best American-born player in junior ice hockey.^[4]

During the 2018–19 season, Hughes broke the NTDP all-time points record that was previously held by Clayton Keller. In a 12–4 win over the Green Bay Gamblers on March 15, 2019, he recorded five points to give him 190 overall. In the same game, teammate Cole Caufield broke the NTDP record for most goals.^[5][6]

New Jersey Devils

On June 21, 2019, at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes was selected first overall by the New Jersey Devils.^[7] On July 12, Hughes signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Devils.^[8] Hughes recorded his first career NHL point on October 17, in a game against the New York Rangers. In doing so, he became the third-youngest player in franchise history to record a point.^[9] Two days later, he recorded his first career NHL goal in a 1–0 win over the Vancouver Canucks.^[10]

In the first game of the 2021–22 season, on October 15, 2021, against the Chicago Blackhawks, Hughes scored an overtime goal to win the game 4–3 and tossed his stick into the crowd in an iconic celebration that was later replicated by Anaheim Ducks forward and former NTDP linemate Trevor Zegras, and then again by Hughes at the All-Star Game.^[11][12][13] On November 30, 2021, Hughes signed an eight-year, $64 million contract extension with the Devils.^[14] The season was considered a breakout year for Hughes, despite missing seventeen games in October after dislocating his shoulder.^[15] He was selected to his first NHL All-Star Game in 2022, becoming the first player from the 2019 NHL draft class to be selected as an All-Star.^[16] In early April 2022, after scoring a new career high of 26 goals and 30 assists in 49 games, the season ended on a disappointing note when Hughes sustained an MCL sprain after a hit by New York Islanders right wing Oliver Wahlstrom, as a result of which he missed the final 13 games.^[15]

The 2022–23 season saw Hughes hitting career highs in goals (43), assists (56) and points (99), while leading the Devils to third in the NHL and a franchise-high 52 wins.^[17] Hughes' 43 goals placed him top-ten in the NHL among goal-scorers, while his 99 points set a franchise record for most points in a season. Hughes was selected for his second career All-Star Game and qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in his career.^[18] His franchise-record 99th point, which he recorded in the final game of the 2022–23 regular season, was an assist on the overtime game-winner and first career goal by his brother, Luke Hughes, who had just joined the Devils one game prior.^[19] Hughes was also nominated for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, an award granted to the player exhibiting the best "sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability".^[20]

In his playoff debut against the New York Rangers, Hughes scored his first playoff goal on a penalty shot against goaltender Igor Shesterkin in a 5–1 loss at home in Game 1. Hughes' goal made him only the fourth player in NHL history to score their first career postseason goal on a penalty shot.^[21] Hughes went on to have three goals and five points in the series, with the Devils eliminating the Rangers in seven games and advancing to the Second Round for the first time since the 2011–12 season.^[22] They were eliminated in the second round in five games by the Carolina Hurricanes.^[23]

The first six games of the 2023–24 season saw Hughes put up 17 points, a total that had not been reached so quickly since Mario Lemieux in 1995–96, who also scored 17 in six games.^[24] On November 3, 2023, during the Devils' 4–1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Hughes fell into the boards at high speed and left the game with a shoulder injury.^[25] He returned to play on November 18, recording a goal and an assist in a 5–3 loss against the New York Rangers.^[26] On December 16, Hughes recorded his 100th NHL goal in his 267th NHL game, becoming the fastest Devil to reach the 100-goal milestone and the second-fastest in franchise history.^[27][28] In January 2024, Hughes was named to his third career and third consecutive All-Star Game, where he, his brother Quinn, and Michael Bublé were named co-captains of one of the teams.^[29][30] Hughes sustained an upper-body injury for the second time that season on January 5, when he fell awkwardly late in a 4–2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, and was unable to participate in the All-Star Game.^[31][32] He returned to play on February 8, after missing 11 games.^[33] On April 9, it was announced that Hughes would undergo shoulder surgery and would miss the remainder of the season. He finished the season with 27 goals and 74 points in 62 games.^[34][35]

Regular season and playoffs

International

More information Year, Team ...

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2017	United States	U17			6	5	10	15	2
2018	United States	U18			7	5	7	12	2
2019	United States	WJC			4	0	4	4	0
2019	United States	U18			7	9	11	20	8
2019	United States	WC	7th		7	0	3	3	0
Junior totals					24	19	32	51	12
Senior totals					7	0	3	3	0

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