Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils have officially taken the NHL by storm this year, with all three of them are playing in the league. The talented trio shared the ice and played each other for the first time on Tuesday, December 5, and all three were able to record at least one point.
As the youngest brother Luke was signed by the Devils at the end of the 2022-23 season, all three brothers are now active in the NHL. The oldest, Quinn, was named captain of the Canucks before the 2023-24 season started, and is currently tied for first in points among all defensemen, and leads all defensemen in goals. Jack currently leads the Devils and is 10th in the league in points, even after missing a large chunk of time due to injuries. Luke is second in rookie points, sitting only five points behind Connor Bedard. It is clear that these brothers are something special and are sure to set many records in their careers, as they are still extremely young compared to the rest of the league.
In an interview with the NHL, Jack Hughes talked about how special it is to be able to play with both of his brothers on the professional stage. “Of course you dream you're going to play with your brothers in the NHL one day. You're in the basement, hanging out, playing, but you never really think it's going to become a reality. For it to happen, it's definitely pretty wild. It's three kids in one game,” Hughes stated.
The trio had a great deal of media attention throughout the week leading up to the game, but their messages were all the same--this was going to be one of the most memorable games of their entire career. All three brothers would want to earn two points in the standings for their respective teams, but of course, only one team would be able to walk away with both points.
The brothers’ parents, Jim and Ellen Hughes, were in attendance at this exciting game in their childrens’ careers. They were also seen at several of the Devils’ playoff games at the end of the 2022-23 season, and were frequently in attendance when it was just Jack and Quinn on the ice, so they certainly couldn’t miss what would perhaps be one of the most special games of their lives.
Before the game started, the three brothers lined up for a photo on the ice as the crowd erupted in cheers. Though two of the three were there with the opposing team, the crowd also knew how special it was to be watching this game, and were excited to see all three on the ice together at the same time before the puck was dropped.
Unlike some other Devils games this season, this game began with an astounding six goals in the opening frame, including a goal and an assist for Jack Hughes. There were several moments throughout the opening period where at least two of the brothers were on the ice at the same time, creating lots of excitement for everyone in the arena.
The second period ended with only one goal scored, from Hughes again--but this time, it was the youngest, Luke. He put home a rebound from his brother Jack, giving Jack his third point of the night and Luke his first goal. During the second intermission, everyone was waiting to see if Quinn would respond to his brothers’ points with one of his own, but they didn’t have to wait long to see if every Hughes would earn a point.
At 13:58 in the third period, Sam Lafferty netted a rebound from Quinn’s shot at the blueline, giving the young captain his first point of the night, and putting his team within one of the Devils. The game was later tied thanks to another assist from Quinn on Nils Hoglander’s goal. Although it looked like the game would go to overtime, New Jersey's Jesper Bratt scored a goal with 34 seconds remaining, putting the game away and securing a game for the Devils.
This high scoring affair was certainly one for all fans to remember, but for every Hughes brother to have at least one point during this game was truly remarkable. It is extremely hard to get points in this league, so it shows just how impressive this family really is for all of them to have a successful night.
All three brothers are still in the very early stages of their careers, so this definitely will not be the last time we see them on the ice together. Even though most of their games most likely won't end with 11 total goals, each time they play is sure to be entertaining for all fans of the game.
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