Lindy Ruff did not expect Jack Hughes to suit up for Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes but the New Jersey Devils superstar was not going to let his team down.
Hughes did not take part in line rushes and was questionable to play because of an upper-body injury.
Hughes ended up playing 14:16 and registered an assist in the game which earned the respect of his head coach who commended his star centre for showing great character.
“For him to put his skates on and play, says a lot about his character,” Ruff told reporters.
Unfortunately for the Devils, the Hurricanes took Game 5 off Jesper Fast’s overtime winner to move on to the Eastern Conference Final.
New Jersey’s 112-point regular-season finish and first-round series win over the New York Rangers was a promising bounce back from their 63-point finish in the 2021-22 season, which resulted in them owning the second overall pick at last summer’s draft.
Hughes played a key role in the Devils’ success this year, scoring 43 goals and 99 points in 78 games while adding 11 points in 12 games during the playoffs.