Jack, Quinn, and Luke Hughes will be facing off against one another for the first time in their NHL careers this week when the Vancouver Canucks host the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday evening.
According to NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale, it’s just the ninth time in NHL history that three brothers will play each other in the same game. The most recent occurrence took place on April 13, 2023, when Eric, Marc, and Jordan Staal faced off against one another when the Florida Panthers took on the Carolina Hurricanes.
“Of course you dream you’re going to play with your brothers in the NHL one day,” Jack Hughes said. “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. It probably hasn’t been done too many times.”
Despite being in different conferences, Jack and Quinn Hughes have played against each other on several occasions. Jack currently has the upper hand as he owns a 5-1 record against Quinn in six career games. The duo last played against one another on Feb. 6, 2023, when the Devils came away with a 5-4 overtime win thanks to two goals and an assist from Jack.
While Jack and Quinn have played each other, this will mark the first time that Luke will share the ice with his two brothers.
“I definitely didn’t expect something like this to happen when we were kids, but it’s really cool,” Luke said. “That’s the dedication shown by our parents … how hard they worked and how hard the three of us worked too. It’s going to be fun.”
“Of course, it’s the dream,” Quinn added. “We probably talked about it as kids playing mini-sticks and stuff but as far as this year, they’re going to want two points, I’m going to want two points, and everyone’s worried about their individual game.”
This will also mark the first time that Luke will face Quinn at any level.
Quinn has been enjoying a sensational season as he leads all NHL defensemen with nine goals. In addition, the Canucks blue-liner also is tied for most points (34) among NHL defensemen.
Jack missed five games in November due to an upper-body injury, but still leads the Devils in points (30) as well as being tied for eighth for most points in the league.
Meanwhile, Luke is embarking on his rookie season and has racked up 14 points (three goals & 11 assists) thus far. He ranks second among rookie defensemen in points.
The Hughes brothers are the first American family to have three brothers selected in the first round of the NHL Draft. Quinn was taken with the No. 7 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft by the Canucks. Jack was selected with the top pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Devils, while Luke was taken at No. 4 by the Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft.
The Canucks have had the better season up to this point as they are currently in second place in the Pacific Division behind only the Vegas Golden Knights with a 16-8-1 record (33 points). Meanwhile, the Devils have struggled out of the gate as they hold just an 11-10-1 record (23 points) and sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division.
