New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes was loudly booed after two high-profile mistakes during the team’s loss Sunday to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Barely a minute into the game, Hughes accidentally sent the puck into his own net, giving Carolina an immediate lead. Later in the second period, he lost the puck in front of his own territory, leading to a second Hurricanes goal that would ultimately be the game-winner.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman framed the booing as part of a larger problem. On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman said the boos directed at Luke Hughes were more about the Devils’ struggles this season and that the team botched the trade for his brother Quinn Hughes.
“I don’t think it’s really about Luke Hughes. I think Hughes is the channel, the player through which the fans’ frustration is expressed… When the team missed out on acquiring Quinn Hughes, who went to Minnesota instead of New Jersey, the fans were already frustrated,” Friedman said.
He noted that New Jersey, with 46 points in 42 games, sits just behind Washington for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, behind Florida, Buffalo and Boston as well. Added to this were reports of players unwilling to honor no-trade clauses and questions regarding the activation of Johnathan Kovacevic. According to Friedman, all of these factors boiled over during Hughes’ two costly errors, making him the target of the crowd’s ire.
“This perfect storm of frustration boiled over in those two games, and Luke Hughes became the target. If Devils fans decided to make a statement, it was on him. It’s tough to watch, but that’s the reality of the situation.”
Quinn Hughes was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild last month for Marco Rossi, Zeev Buium, Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick. The move ended long-running speculation that Quinn could join the New Jersey Devils where his brothers Luke and Devils alternate captain Jack Hughes play, a scenario fans widely expected.
Devils captain Nico Hischier came to Luke Hughes’ defense
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier publicly defended defenseman Luke Hughes following Sunday night’s 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, in which Hughes’ mistakes directly contributed to the game’s first two goals.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hischier made it clear that he does not support booing from his teammates and certainly not in situations where mistakes are part of the game.
“If someone makes a mistake, obviously he doesn’t feel good. That first mistake was his first appearance, there was a whole match ahead of him,” Hischier said. “I understand the frustration, but it was a 2-1 game and we were still fighting for points. The boos don’t help.”
Hischier also highlighted the team’s support for Hughes, adding:
“We fully support Luke. He’s a great player. What happened tonight happened, and that’s it. We’re moving on.”
Hughes himself admitted to making costly mistakes that night. He explained that the first goal was the result of an unexpected deflection and the second was the result of a play that did not work out as planned. The 22-year-old defender shared that the locker room has been very supportive throughout and he is determined to use the experience to improve in the future.
Edited by Anjum Rajonno
