With a quick sweep of his stick, the puck glided to a defenseman and a rush up the ice began.
Sweat and water trickled from his helmet down to the No. 86 stitched onto his jersey as he settled back into position to catch a breath.
When the puck came his way again moments later, Jack Hughes was ready to make another big play for his team.
No, this isn’t that Jack Hughes, the superstar player for the New Jersey Devils who will suit up for Team USA at the Olympics in Milan, Italy next month. This Jack Hughes is about to turn 15 years old, stands 5-foot-3 decked out head to toe in Warrior equipment and plays in front of slightly smaller crowds at Codey Arena in West Orange.
Unlike the Jack Hughes who plays eight miles up Route 280 at Prudential Center in front of sold-out crowds, his job for Verona-Glen Ridge’s ice hockey team isn’t to score highlight-reel goals.
He stops them.
Jack Hughes is a freshman on his co-op high school hockey team, which consists of players from both Verona and Glen Ridge. Fittingly, he also plays hockey for the Devils Youth 14U AAA squad.
He made the decision to play goal roughly seven years ago. Back then, he wore No. 9. That changed once he saw Hughes make his Devils debut.
“I got on that bandwagon as soon as it happened,” he said.
Jack Hughes (left) has been a star for the Devils, but another Jack Hughes (right) is just starting his high school career down the road from Prudential Center.NJ Advance Media File Photo
And so he became the lesser-known Jack Hughes wearing No. 86 on the ice in the Garden State. He doesn’t have two hockey-playing brothers, but his sister, Charlotte, is a hockey player.
He’s proudly sported No. 86 for seven seasons and has fully embraced the gag.
“I really just think the game’s all about having fun,” he said. “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right. Embracing the name is amazing.”
Though he changed numbers with Hughes’ NHL arrival, don’t expect the younger Hughes to swap positions any time soon.
“Being a goalie is what I love,” he said. “I think I try to be a student of the game. I try to use what he does and maybe tell my defensemen or tell my forwards (where to be).”
Hughes jumps into action when he’s needed to fill in for starting goalie Jackson Soshnick and he’s played well.
Through six games, he owns a .913 save percentage and one shutout.
“Honestly, it kind of just feels natural,” he said. “Practice has really helped me a lot, getting to know the guys. I feel like practice has really helped me get adjusted to the speed of the game.”
“As a freshman, he’s coming in here with a lot of pressure, pride and confidence and not scared of the moment,” said Verona-Glen Ridge head coach Ken Lilien. “We want Jackson with us, but I’m not scared to have Jack Hughes in net.”
Verona-Glen Ridge has a star in the making in freshman goalie Jack Hughes, who coincidentally also wears the No. 86, just like New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes. 12/18/25Brian Bobal | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The name/number combo does cast a spotlight on Hughes, but he loves it.
He’ll hear opponents talking about it, folks in the stands, and occasionally from his own teammates, but he doesn’t shy away from it. He’s got the confidence and personality to handle it all.
“I think all attention is good attention,” he said. “It’s great to hear from people, it’s great to meet new people, and I feel like my name just helps me connect.”
Though he attends a few Devils games a year, Jack Hughes has never met Jack Hughes, who’s his favorite player.
Maybe the stars will align and the two Jack Hugheses will cross paths someday.
“It would be awesome to meet him,” he said. “It’s a great learning experience, obviously. It would just be great to meet anybody in the NHL.”