(JTA) — The “H” in NHL may as well stand for Hughes.
Jewish brothers Jack, Luke and Quinn Hughes made hockey history on Tuesday night when they became the first trio of Jewish brothers to play in the same NHL game. Jack and Luke’s New Jersey Devils faced Quinn’s Vancouver Canucks in a night dubbed the “Hughes Bowl.” (They also became the ninth overall trio of brothers period to accomplish the feat.)
“I thought both Luke and Quinn played really well,” Jack Hughes told ESPN after the Devils’ 6-5 win. “A lot of fun to play with them.”
The brothers had already made hockey history in their young careers. They are the first American family to have three siblings picked in the first round of the NHL draft. In 2018, Quinn was select seventh by Vancouver; the following year, Jack became the first Jewish player to go No. 1 overall, and Luke was drafted fourth in 2021. Now all three brothers stand out among the talented crop of Jewish players in the NHL.
Jack, 22, is a two-time All-Star who last year set a Devils franchise record with 99 points. Luke, 20, is a rookie who was a star player at the University of Michigan, where he set several program records. Quinn, 24, has earned at least 60 assists each of the past two seasons, and in September he was named the 15th captain in Canucks history, making him the youngest current captain in the NHL.
On Tuesday, with their parents in attendance, the Hughes brothers stole the spotlight. Jack scored a goal with two assists, Luke scored a power play goal (assisted by Jack) and Quinn had two assists.
“Getting a picture in warmups was pretty cool,” Luke told ESPN. “I haven’t really let it all sink in yet. For me, it’s seeing him off ice, I haven’t seen (Quinn) in a couple of months, and it’s been the five of us. Our whole family has been here for two days, going to dinner and hanging out. It’s been great for our family.”
Jack, who had a bar mitzvah, has said his family celebrated Passover when he was growing up. Hockey runs in the family, too.
Their father Jim, who is not Jewish, played hockey for Providence College and has worked as an assistant coach and front office executive for NHL teams. Their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, who is Jewish, was a three-sport athlete at the University of New Hampshire and represented the U.S. women’s hockey team at the 1992 Women’s World Championships, where she was named a tournament All-Star. Weinberg-Hughes is also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 induction class.
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