The 82 rating is the same as Rasmus Dahlin, the No. 1 pick of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2018 draft, from NHL 19. Hughes and Dahlin's opening rating was five rating points better than 2015 No. 1 pick Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews,
the NHL 20 cover athlete
and top pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 draft, from each player's rookie season video game.
Devils fans pining to see Hughes in video-game form got their first glimpse Tuesday. They'll be able to play with him, and the rest of the League's players, when the video game is released worldwide Sept. 13.