After some very slow recent weeks, hockey fans have been dying for news worth talking about. Early on Tuesday, New Jersey Devils’ superstar forward Jack Hughes gave them exactly that.
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For the first time, he chimed in on the continuous rumors that have swirled ever since Vancouver Canucks’ President of Hockey Ops Jim Rutherford publicly said in April that Quinn Hughes wants to play with his brothers. “Honestly, I’m not afraid to say it,” Jack told reporters at the NHL Player Media Tour interview session. “Yeah, I would love for Quinn to — eventually I’d love to play with him. And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point I want to play with Quinn,” he continued.
Mixed Reaction from Fans
A recent report from NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky explained that Luke Hughes’ camp prefers a five-year contract, which would have him reach free agency following the 2029-30 season — the same time as Jack.
Some have conflated both Jack’s comments and the Luke report to mean one thing: they’re both planning on leaving the Devils and going elsewhere to play with Quinn. In all likelihood, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Let’s debunk:
First and foremost, the way more likely scenario is Quinn ending up on the Devils, rather than the other two brothers joining him. Jack’s slight pause when saying, “Yeah, I would love for Quinn to — eventually I’d love to play with him,” could be reasonably inferred that he wanted to say he wants Quinn to come to the Devils, but that could be considered tampering.
Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils (Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)
This morning, Quinn said to Pierre LeBrun and media, “I mean, [Jack]’s my brother, what’s he supposed to say!? (…) We have contracts and whatnot. He’s on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course. I think if you guys have brothers, you guys would say the same thing.”
From a cap/timeline standpoint, Quinn on the Devils makes a ton of sense. He becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2027 and Dougie Hamilton comes off the Devils’ books in 2028…both before Jack and Luke (if he signs for five) enter free agency in 2030. The cap is only going to rise, and the Devils will always have the edge in that they employ his brothers.
Furthermore, there has never been any inclination that Jack is growing frustrated in New Jersey, whereas Quinn has expressed some vexation. In that same April presser, Rutherford said, “We will do everything we can to keep [Quinn] here, but at the end of the day, it’ll be his decision.”
That doesn’t exactly exude confidence.
And Quinn is right: if you had a chance to play at the highest level of a sport with a sibling or close friend, wouldn’t you hope that would happen one day, regardless of contract, how successful your team is, etc.?
It should be viewed as more of a bucket list item for the Hughes brothers, and less of something that needs to happen now (or even in the near future). Quinn is the oldest of the brothers at 25; if healthy, he should have at least a decade left in the league, if not more.
“I’m really lucky to be a Devil,” Jack said back in December after another spectacular game against their rival New York Rangers. “We’ve got great fans. I love how much they have my back. Ya know, I look up into the stands and I see a million 86 jerseys, so I think this fanbase loves me and I love playing here. It’s special,” he said.
It’s understandable that a rough finish to the 2024-25 season left many with a negative outlook on the Devils and their future. But rest assured: Jack is happy as a Devil and his comments should not be overblown.
