Look Back: Luke Hughes' Much Anticipated Debut

It finally happened this season! Luke Hughes made his NHL debut.

It had been a long-time coming and the day had finally arrived. It was a short stint, joining the team with just regular season games left - followed by two rounds of playoff hockey, but Luke certainly made the most of his time.

There are only a few games to look back on but boy did he make an impact.

The Bullet Points

Highly Anticipated

To call Luke Hughes' debut as a New Jersey Devil 'highly anticipated' may be the understatement of last season. From the moment he was drafted with the 4th overall pick in 2021, the countdown was officially on.

The clock finally struck zero on April 11, 2023 when Luke put the Devils jersey on for the first time as a roster player. There were just two games left in the regular season and now was the time. Hughes made his debut against the Buffalo Sabres to a roar of cheers and applause as his name was announced as part of the starting lineup.

"I think he had a louder (cheer) than I did when they (announced) Luke Hughes was starting," older brother Jack joked after Luke's debut. "I see where I rank."

Best for Last

What would Luke do with his opportunity of just two games remaining in the regular season? How about delivering one of the Top 10 plays of the season?

Hughes closed out the Devils' regular season in style - not just for himself, but for the entire team.

Not only would Hughes' first NHL goal be a defining moment at the beginning of his career (brother Jack assisted on the play making it extra special) but his goal closed out the final second of the Devils regular season, securing two points. And they weren't just any two points, the extra point put the exclamation point on the 2022-23 season, topping out at 112 points - the most in franchise history.

"Your first goal you never forget," Luke said after the regular season finale. "It was awesome to be out there and with Jacky assisting it, it was pretty cool."

Just Two Brothers

When Luke made his way to New Jersey there was little doubt where he'd be staying. There was no hotel for Luke, who moved in with his brother Jack. It was an added bonus to the start of his NHL career, being able to experience it with his brother and live together again for the first time in four years.

But do their off-ice tendencies match?

Is Jack easy to live with?

"Yeah, low maintenance... really tidy person though."

And you, Luke?

"Not as much as him, but I'm working on it!"

Closing Out Collegiate Career

Before Luke made his few waves in his short NHL stint to end the season, he closed out an outstanding collegiate career with the Michigan Wolverines. On April 8, signing his first NHL contract, Luke was moving on to a new chapter in his hockey career and he left behind quite an impact on his Wolverines team where he played two seasons at Michigan.

And it was quite a two years for him.

He finished his time at Michigan as a two-time first-team All-American and helped the Wolverines to back-to-back Big Ten Tournament Championships and Frozen Four appearances. In his sophomore season he took on a bigger leadership role at an assistant captain, and saw his on-ice minutes increase by three minutes per game.

He also left behind a record for another generation of Wolverine defensemen to try and catch. In his first season, Hughes led all NCAA defensemen with 39 points (17g, 22a) in 41 games, which also lead all rookies at all positions. His rookie season numbers also set a Michigan program record for rookie defensemen.

Not a bad way to move on to your NHL career!

Remember This?

How could you forget... that incredible moment watching the puck head over the line in overtime for Hughes' first NHL goal.