This goal is only one example of how Luke has excelled in his first year of college hockey. Currently, he has 16 goals and 16 assists for a total of 32 points. Hughes is also riding a five-game goals streak and he still has two games left in the regular season. Hughes broke and now set Michigan's freshman defenseman scoring record. Not too shabby for the youngest Hughes brother.
"He's playing unbelievably. We all knew he would be a special player but 16 goals already as a freshman is outrageous. That's a crazy record," Hughes said. "He has a crazy good knack for scoring. Just skating with him in the summer, he's one of those guys that can slip a puck in the goalie's seven-hole or something. He knows where to shoot, he has a quick release. But no one could expect (this performance). He's having a record-breaking season.
"I think that's really exciting for Devils fan and obviously University of Michigan fans are loving watching him right now and our whole family is having a lot of fun too."
Luke is the second Hughes brother at the University of Michigan. The oldest, Quinn, played for Michigan during the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons before signing with the Vancouver Canucks. Both brothers have worn the number 43; however, Jack thinks Luke might get bragging rights over Quinn.
"They both wore 43 at Michigan so obviously Luke had big shoes to fill and he might even overshadow Quinn when it comes to Michigan. But they both left a really big imprint on University of Michigan hockey, two special players to go through the program."
Although Jack is having fun watching Luke play college hockey, he's looking forward to the day the 2021 draft pick joins the Devils organization.
"We need a guy like that. He's our fourth overall pick so we want him to come in at some point and be a team changing type player," Hughes said. "It's a lot of fun that he's my brother but I think that him having 16 goals excites me a lot knowing with my game and the delays and pull-ups and hitting late guys, with Luke coming down, putting those pucks in the back of the net could be a lot of fun."
