Prior to the holiday break, the New Jersey Devils received a roster boost with star player Jack Hughes returning to the ice and the lineup.
Hughes saw his first game back against the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 21 in an eventual 3-1 loss for New Jersey. However, Hughes made an instant impact in his return to the ice posting the Devils’ only goal of the night. The center was originally projected to see play around the second week of January following sustained a hand injury in a freak-accident. Instead, he came back ahead of schedule and logged one goal in his first game back before then tallying 20:27 TOI in 22 shifts in the Devils’ final game prior to the holiday break against the New York Islanders.
The goal came from Hughes’s very first shot since returning from his injury and served as the game’s opening goal in the Prudential Center.
New Jersey returns to play following the holidays on Dec. 27 by hosting the Washington Capitals. The Devils currently sit with 41 points in the Metropolitan Division across a 20-16-1 record.
Jack Hughes Scores One, Plays Plenty in Return for Devils
Timo Meier (personal reasons) and Arseny Gritsyuk (upper-body injury) have also returned to action for New Jersey prior to the holidays.
Hughes said there’s nothing worse than not being able to play while having to sit back and watch your team continue their schedule without you.
“[It’s] really fun to get back out there and play. I’m just glad I’m out there playing again, it’s the best thing to do,” Hughes previously said to the media following his first game back. “No joke, when you’re sitting on the couch and the guys are playing … that’s the taxing part of being injured. You want to be out there, that’s what you want to do the most … to get back out there, I’m just grateful that I was able to have the chance to get back out there.”
“For a guy like me, watching these games (injured) sucks. To get back out there, personally, I’m just grateful I was able to have a chance to get back out there.”
Hear from Jack following tonight’s game ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/L7fbndx9Ty
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 22, 2025
Hughes’s older brother, Quinn, also made headlines over the recent weeks due to a blockbuster trade sending him away from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild.
Prior to his injury, Jack had a team-leading 10 goals and 20 points in 17 games for the Devils.
Jack was the No. 1 overall selection back in the 2019 NHL Draft. He currently totals 372 points (152 goals, 220 assists) across his seven seasons of play in the league so far.
Due to his return to NHL play, it is now all the more likely Jack could play for the United States at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, which will be in February. Federations must submit rosters by Dec. 31.