Jack Hughes spoke out on Instagram after undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils announced that their star center would be out for the remainder of the 2024-25 season and potentially Stanley Cup Playoffs after having surgery on his shoulder. Hughes had the surgery on Wednesday in Colorado and has since been played on long-term injured reserve.
#NEWS: Jack Hughes underwent shoulder surgery earlier today and will be placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR).
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 5, 2025
Jack is expected to make a full recovery and be available for training camp.
📰: https://t.co/m06KjtAdPj pic.twitter.com/E2qNzfROk6
The 23-year-old center was tripped into the boards during a short-handed breakout at around the 18-minute mark of the third period in a 2-0 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. He skated off the ice gingerly while favoring his right shoulder.
On Thursday, the Orlando native spoke out for the first time since his surgery via his public Instagram profile — sharing a message for his fans.
"Some thoughts I wanted to share. Sports/Life can break you down, can be unfair. All the preparation, sacrifice, emotion, training, toughness you put into a year can be wasted within a matter of seconds. I know I’m not the first athlete to face the challenges that comes with injuries, and I certainly will not be the last. But this is another hill to climb. The more adversity I face, the more I will believe in myself, the deeper I will dig into who I am, in the pursuit of being the best version of myself. I am excited to work towards recovery so I can continue to pour my heart and soul into the game I love.Jack Hughes via his Instagram
Thanks to all my family, friends, teammates for your love and support. To all the devils fans and fans of mine, thank you and I look forward to doing what I enjoy most in front of you for many years to come."
Hughes is and was an important player on the ice for New Jersey. He leads the Devils in goals (27), game-winning goals (seven), shots on goal (229), and forwards in average ice time per game (20:54). His 70 points are tied with Jesper Bratt for first, and he's second in assists (43) behind Bratt's 53. The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft also had one assist in four games playing for the United States in February's 4 Nations Face-Off.
Hughes is expected to be ready for the Devils’ training camp in the fall ahead of their 2025-26 season.
What Devils fans should take away from Hughes' message
The key quote from Hughes' message is quite clear — "To all the Devils fans and fans of mine, thank you, and I look forward to doing what I enjoy most in front of you for many years to come."
While clearly he wasn’t shy about sharing his disappointment about having his NHL season come to an abrupt end, Hughes will be back and playing for the great state of New Jersey.