There are plenty of good hockey players in the National Hockey League. There are also quite a few talented siblings in the National Hockey League. But, Quinn, Jack and Luke Hughes aren’t just any talented, hockey-playing siblings: The Jewish trio of brothers recently made history as the first American family to have three siblings all drafted into the NHL in the first round.
This was cemented on July 23 when youngest brother Luke, a defenseman, was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils. He was preceded by older brothers Quinn, who was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018, and Jack, who was drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2019. (Jack also made Jewish history as the first Jewish hockey player to be drafted first overall in the NHL.)
Perhaps no one is more excited about this news than the brothers themselves — you can watch their reaction to Luke getting drafted here:
Looking to their family history, this feat isn’t surprising. Their mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, is a former athlete who played ice hockey, soccer and lacrosse at the University of New Hampshire. After college, she played with the U.S. women’s hockey team at the 1992 Women’s World Championships, where she was named a tournament all-star and helped Team USA take home the silver medal. Their father, Jim Hughes, is a former ice hockey player for Providence College and has worked for the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL.
In addition to the athletic acumen they got from their mother, the Hughes brothers also inherited her Jewishness. “We did Passover when we were younger,” Jack told “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio in 2019. Jack also had a bar mitzvah, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Mazel tov to Quinn, Jack and Luke on the beginning of their hockey dynasty! We’re excited to see all three of you play against the likes of other Jewish hockey greats like Zach Hyman, Jason Zucker, and Adam Fox.
