Jack, Quinn, and Luke Hughes are set to compete against each other 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 only the ninth occurrence in NHL history where three brothers faced each other in the same game. The most recent instance happened on April 13, 2023, with Eric, Marc, and Jordan Staal playing against each other during the Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes game.
“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 with a 5-1 record against Quinn in six career games. The duo last played against one another on Feb. 6, 2023, when the Devils claimed a 5-4 overtime win with 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 having a tremendous season leading all NHL defensemen with nine goals. Additionally, the Canucks blue-liner is also 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 in his rookie season and has amassed 14 points (three goals & 11 assists) so 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 a better season so far as they are currently in the 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 with just an 11-10-1 record (23 points) and are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division.
