Hughes brothers at the World Juniors: Luke the latest sibling to play for Team USA

Whether in the United States National Team Development Program, the U18 Worlds or the World Juniors, a Hughes brother has worn the colors red, white and blue every season since 2015.

The youngest representative from the United States is Luke, a defender for Team USA at World Juniors 2022. Despite only playing in one game, the attacking-minded blueliner has already accomplished something his brothers Quinn and Jack couldn’t — a goal to achieve in the tournament.

The siblings, all aged 22 or younger, have been associated with USA Hockey for years, and rightly so. They all hope for a bright future in the NHL.

WJC 2022: Team USA Schedule, Results, Roster

All three were voted in the top 7 of their respective designs, with Jack boasting the rights to be the top pick. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He and Luke are part of the Devils organization, while Luke and Quinn both played defensemen for the University of Michigan.

As Jack and Luke prepare for their upcoming NHL season, Luke is the center of attention for now. Team USA is aiming to win gold medals at the IIHF U20 tournament for the first time in a row. The team has already taken a step in the right direction and opened their tournament with a 5-1 win over Germany. Hughes opened the scoring and later added an assist.

Luke Hughes scores USA’s first tournament goal!#WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/Z2vXXFDc63

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) August 10, 2022

Quinn and Jack are sure to cheer for their brother as he skates in Edmonton. Perhaps at the end of the tournament, Luke will be given another honor that none of his kind have before – winning World Juniors Gold.

Find out more about the Hughes brothers and their impact on the hockey world here.

QuinnHughes

Hughes’ eldest sibling began his career in 2015 with the United States National Team Development Program. He spent two seasons with the program before transferring to the University of Michigan. As a freshman, he set a school record for a defenseman with 24 assists. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and All-Big Ten Second Team.

After a sensational season, the Canucks selected Hughes with the seventh overall pick of the 2018 draft. He returned to the Wolverines for one more season before joining the Canucks at the end of the 2018-19 season. He has now played three full seasons with Vancouver; He’s coming off a 68-point season in 2021-22.

MORE: Schedule, Scores, Results for all World Juniors 2022 games

Quinn was originally touted as an offense-first defender, and while he still excels at passing, his defense has evolved. He’s learned to use his racquet and positioning to break plays and has become a strong two-way defenseman in the NHL despite his size (5-10, 181 pounds).

Jack Hughes

The middle brother is the lonely Hughes sibling who doesn’t play college hockey. He played for the national program for two years, where he nearly broke Auston Matthews’ one-season points record in the 2017–18 season. He then broke the USNTDP career points record, beating Clayton Keller’s mark of 189 with 228.

Hughes was drafted with the first pick in the 2019 draft and immediately made the jump to the NHL. He struggled in his rookie season with just seven goals and 14 assists in 61 games. He followed with a 31-point performance in 56 games during the 2020-21 season. Last season, he demonstrated his offensive prowess, albeit in a smaller sample size: 56 points in 49 games. He missed games in the fall with a shoulder injury and suffered a season-ending knee injury in April.

MORE: Why is the World Juniors being played in August?

The Devils Center showed the ability to take over a game last season. He has extremely skilled hands that allow him to put defenders in a blender and bypass goalies. He’s only 21 and just getting better.

Luke Hughes

The youngest Hughes brother followed in Quinn and Jack’s footsteps by playing for the national program at the under-17 and under-18 levels before joining the NCAA. Prior to his first season in Michigan, the Devils selected him as the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

He’s coming off a sensational freshman season at Ann Arbor. He led all NCAA defenders with 17 goals and was third on the team. His 39 points was also third on the team. He received Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year, Big Ten All-Freshman, and second-team All-Big Ten.

MORE: Top 10 NHL prospects attending World Juniors 2022

Hughes is an offense-first defenseman who excels with the puck on his racquet on the rush. Without Jake Sanderson, the USA blue line lacks a dynamic puck mover and Hughes will see some extra playing time as a result.