New Jersey Devils’ No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes steals the headlines after netting his first career NHL goal against his brother, Quinn.
The headline entering the matchup between the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils on Saturday was the Hughes brothers facing off for the first time in their young NHL careers.
Well, two days after the Devils collected their first victory on the year, No. 1 overall pick, Jack Hughes, decided it was time he broke the headlines.
Hughes, 18, (finally) netted his first career NHL goal during the first period of the matinee contest against the red-hot Canucks, who entered Saturday on a four-game winning streak for the first time since March of 2018.
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1185615769385787393
Ironically, Hughes scored his first NHL goal on the same date two years to the day that Nico Hischier netted his first goal, which came against the Ottawa Senators on the road.
However, there was one major difference.
Hughes’ goal was in front of his older brother, Quinn, who was selected by Vancouver with the seventh overall pick at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Keep in mind that the brothers’ parents, family, and friends were also in attendance, rocking custom Canucks-Devils themed t-shirts.
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1185612551675174913
https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1185601259883155456
The 18-year-old couldn’t have picked a better time to find the back of the net, giving the Devils an early 1-0 lead. New Jersey entered the contest fresh off of a win against the New York Rangers, which also made Hughes the sixth different Devil skater to score in the last six periods of hockey.
The Devils obviously needed depth goal scoring and got it from their future superstar. He put his mark on the new era of a friendly rivalry, one that both cities hope is a recurring Stanley Cup Final matchup—too soon to mention? I didn’t think so.
With No. 86’s first goal, the new kid on the block displayed his composure on the team’s power-play. After not converting on the man advantage during the Devils’ first six games, the power-play has now executed in back-to-back games.
The rookie “finished” in a situation when he needed to and did it on a big stage—a great sign for Jersey’s fan base. Hughes is slowly but surely showing he can handle the spotlight in the New York City market.
There’s one thing that makes Hughes’ first goal even sweeter. The primary assist was a beautiful pass through Vancouver’s penalty coverage from none other than a happy and healthy, Taylor Hall (2010 No. 1 overall pick).
