Luke Hughes

Luke Hughes (born September 9, 2003) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). The youngest of three brothers who all play in the NHL—Jack with the Devils and Quinn with the Vancouver Canucks—Hughes was selected fourth overall by New Jersey in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft after starring for the U.S. National Team Development Program. He honed his skills over two seasons at the University of Michigan, where he served as team captain in 2022–23 and tallied 87 points in 80 games, before signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Devils in April 2023 and a seven-year, $63 million extension on October 1, 2025.

Hughes made his NHL debut on April 11, 2023, against the Buffalo Sabres, logging 11:15 of ice time in a 6–2 victory. Just two days later, on April 13, he scored his first NHL goal against the Washington Capitals. In his first full professional season during 2023–24, the 6-foot-2, 198-pound left-shooting blueliner appeared in all 82 games, recording 9 goals and 38 assists for 47 points while averaging 21:28 of ice time per night and earning a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team as a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist. In 2024–25, he tallied 44 points (7 goals, 37 assists) in 71 games, leading the Devils' defensemen in scoring. As of November 2025, in 172 career NHL games, Hughes has recorded 102 points (17 goals and 85 assists) with a minus-33 plus/minus rating.

Luke Hughes was born on September 9, 2003, in Manchester, New Hampshire, to parents Ellen Weinberg-Hughes and Jim Hughes. His mother, a former member of the U.S. women's national ice hockey team, and his father, a former college player and professional coach, created a household deeply immersed in the sport from the outset.

The family relocated frequently due to Jim Hughes' coaching career, moving from New Hampshire to Toronto, Canada, in 2006 when Luke was three years old, and eventually to Michigan in 2017 as the children entered their teenage years. In Michigan, the hockey-centric environment intensified, with the brothers—Luke and his older siblings Quinn and Jack—spending much of their time honing skills on local rinks and in informal settings. This upbringing near strong youth hockey programs further embedded the sport in their daily lives.

Luke's initial exposure to hockey was non-competitive, shaped heavily by family influences, including outdoor play on frozen ponds and rinks in Manchester during early childhood. In Toronto, he and his brothers enjoyed unstructured sessions at places like Wedgewood Park's outdoor rink, where they developed creativity and passion without formal coaching. These experiences, often alongside his brothers in basement games or casual scrimmages, laid the foundational skating and puck-handling abilities that his mother emphasized from a young age. The family's storied hockey background provided constant motivation, though Luke carved his path distinct from his siblings' early trajectories.

His mother is Jewish and his father is Catholic and the family celebrated Passover when Hughes was growing up.