The New Jersey Devils shared some pretty devastating news on Friday evening. Star forward Jack Hughes was going to miss time after he suffered a cut during a team dinner following their win against the Chicago Blackhawks.
We know for sure that he’s going to miss the Devils game against the Washington Capitals on Saturday, but it appears that he won’t be back anytime soon. While the exact timeline is still a mystery, there is new information constantly coming out that suggests this is going to take more than a week to fix.
First, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reported that Hughes hurt himself while leaning on a glass that shattered.
Everyone stated that it was a freak accident that caused #NJDevils Jack Hughes’ hand injury. I’m being told he accidentally leaned on a glass, and it broke, causing the cut that Elliotte Friedman referenced in his report.
— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) November 14, 2025
The news is already terrible, but there was a possibility that this could be minor. If Hughes just needs stitches, then it becomes more of a comfort issue than a structural issue. Unfortunately, the latest update makes it appear this isn’t even remotely minor.
On Saturday, the Devils shared that Hughes had surgery. Now, he will miss the next eight weeks of hockey at a minimum. He won't even be re-evaluated until the six-week mark.
The New Jersey Devils have provided the following medical update:
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 15, 2025
“New Jersey Devils C Jack Hughes underwent successful surgery on his finger.
The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.
The expected return to play… pic.twitter.com/wVkPNZwe0Y
Jack Hughes had surgery on an injured finger and will miss eight weeks
Surgery is obviously a terrible scenario. While a cut could put him out for a week or even two, surgery means that he’s out for a minimum of two months. On top of that, he won't be able to play at his peak level right away.
According to NHS Inform, there are two types of surgery for hands that have been cut and have impacted tendons. It can either be an extensor tendon repair or a flexor tendon repair. And it says that a splint is necessary for the patient for a minimum of three weeks.
For someone whose main value on the ice is his puck handling, an injury like this is already concerning. He may take even more time after returning to get back to full strength.
This is clearly as bad a scenario as one can think of, barring the situation. Losing your star at a team dinner is a story that won’t go away quickly, and now the Devils have to try to hold onto first place without him. They have a lead in the Metropolitan Division, but with Cody Glass possibly injured again, they are desperate light at the center position, and their star could be out for weeks or longer.