Jack Hughes

Jack Rowden Hughes^{[better source needed]} (born May 14, 2001) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a center and alternate captain for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). A product of the U.S. National Development Team, Hughes was drafted first overall by the Devils in the 2019 NHL entry draft.

Hughes has represented the United States men's national team internationally. He was a member of the United States team that won the gold medal in the 2026 Winter Olympics, and scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the gold medal match against Canada.

Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida, and grew up in Toronto, Ontario, before relocating with his family to Michigan for his high school years while playing for the US NTDP. Hughes is Jewish, had a bar mitzvah, and grew up celebrating Passover. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, is Jewish and his father, Jim Hughes, is Catholic, and he studied at Iona Catholic Secondary School. He graduated from one of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park high schools in Canton, Michigan.

Hughes comes from a family of ice hockey athletes. He cited his favorite player as Patrick Kane due to their similar smaller stature. Hughes played a variety of sports growing up, including ice hockey and baseball. His older brother, Quinn, was drafted seventh overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft by the Vancouver Canucks. His younger brother, Luke, was drafted fourth overall by the Devils in the 2021 NHL entry draft. Their father is a former ice hockey player and team captain for Providence College, an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins, and the director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His mother played ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer at the University of New Hampshire and, in 2012, was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame. She also played for the United States women's national ice hockey team, and won a silver medal at the 1992 World Championship.

His uncle Marty, and his cousin, Teddy Doherty, were also both involved in ice hockey. Marty last played in the British National League for the Dundee Stars, and Teddy last played for the Manchester Monarchs of the ECHL. His maternal uncle is sociologist Adam S. Weinberg, the president of Denison University.

While playing with the Mississauga Rebels of the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL), Hughes applied for exceptional player status to be able to enter the Canadian Hockey League a year early. 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). 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. 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.

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.