New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes is a pretty laid-back guy. But on Thursday night, the gold-medal winner didn’t take kindly to an attempt at humor.
At the conclusion of the first period of the Devils game with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hughes didn’t take too kindly to a question by ESPN's A.J. Mleczko.
The rinkside reporter joked about putting Hughes in bubble wrap and giving him plastic cutlery because of his injury history.
Hughes, for his part, called it a “weird question” and skated away, clearly upset by the attempt at humor.
Check out the sequence here:
Jack Hughes wanted nothing to do with that question 😂 pic.twitter.com/zoWEZwiDTS
— Daily Faceoff (@DailyFaceoff) October 2, 2026
Hughes has had a long injury history. In fact, the Devils’ star has only played over games in one season. That explains the “bubble wrap” reference.
But it was the “plastic cutlery” reference that most likely got to him. Last season, Hughes missed a good chunk due to a bizarre incident in which he cut his hand at a team dinner. The full details remain unclear to this day. The only thing that’s known is that Hughes stumbled, with a knife slicing his hand in the process.
Whatever the case, rinkside reporters will likely be more cautious before trying to pull another fast one on an NHLer this season.
Devils hoping Jack Hughes can stay healthy
The health concerns regarding Jack Hughes are legitimate. He’s played 62, 62, and 61 games in the last three seasons. In those games, he’s produced well over a point per game.
That’s why the Devils want to have Hughes play all 84 games this season, if possible.
The precedent in the 2022-23 season, in which Hughes hit the ice for 78 games. That season, he scored 43 goals and 56 assists for 99 points. Assuming Hughes can play 80 games this year, he could easily eclipse the 100-point mark.
Considering the high-end offensive talent on the roster, it’s certainly a possibility.
The expectation is that no injury issues arise like his shoulder injury from two seasons ago. Likewise, fans will be sending good vibes Hughes’ way so that he can avoid any freak accidents like last year.
All in all, a healthy Hughes will be crucial to the Devils’ playoff hopes. The club missed the postseason last year, with Hughes’ absence noticeable early in the season. It’s safe to assume that if Hughes hadn’t missed the time he did, the club would have been in a better position.
Thus far, Jack Hughes and the Devils will have a chance to hit the ground running.
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