Overview
- The team said the non-hockey injury occurred at a Thursday team dinner, with multiple reports calling it a fluke incident involving cut glass.
- Surgery was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, with a re-evaluation set for six weeks.
- Hughes posted 10 goals and 20 points in 17 games as New Jersey opened 12-4-1 to lead the Metropolitan Division.
- New Jersey placed Connor Brown on injured reserve and recalled Shane Lachance from AHL Utica, with Hughes not traveling for the Capitals game.
- The club’s timeline points to a potential mid-January return if rehab stays on track, leaving his Olympic status uncertain before the roster deadline.