The New Jersey Devils announced that forward Jack Hughes will be out of the lineup for a minimum of eight weeks after having surgery on a non-hockey-related injury to his left pinky and will be re-evaluated after six weeks. He could be out longer than that.
Jack Hughes Sidelined By Non-Hockey Hand Injury
Per the New Jersey Devils:
New Jersey Devils C Jack Hughes underwent successful surgery on his finger. The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Hotchkiss at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The expected return to play timeline is eight weeks, and he will be re-evaluated at the six-week mark.”
This comes a day after the team announced that Hughes had been injured and was undergoing further evaluation. He was going to miss the game Saturday night against the Washington Capitals.
The hand is so delicate as I mentioned yesterday.
You hit tendons & nerves in any sort of way you will be out awhile.
Devils announce Jack Hughes expected return to play time will be 8 weeks & will be re-evaluated after 6 weeks.
Depth down the middle will be tested #njdevils https://t.co/Kp1PFURqDf
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 15, 2025
As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet noted on Friday, Jack Hughes suffered a hand injury at a team dinner on Thursday, following the Devils’ 4-3 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.
Though exact details are not known at this time and may never be, as there are conflicting reports about what actually transpired at the team dinner, Friedman did report that he slipped and cut his hand in a “fluke accident.”
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However, Kristy Flannery of the Hockey News provided an update shortly after, stating that it was a freak accident: Jack Hughes leaned on a glass that broke, causing the laceration to his hand.
Everyone stated that it was a freak accident that caused #NJDevils Jack Hughes’ hand injury. I’m being told he accidentally leaned on a glass, and it broke, causing the cut that Elliotte Friedman referenced in his report.
— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) November 14, 2025
While it is a freak accident, it can’t affect the rest of the season for the Devils. Too many times, the players have let injuries jeopardize their season. While losing Jack Hughes is a significant blow to this offense, the next man up mentality has been working. It’s all about surviving the injuries and treading water.
Look every year when Jack Hughes it affects the moral of the team. As Paul Maurice said when he lost Barkov I had my time to be sad.
Devils have been showing real guts & grit & playing with that next man up mentality. That can’t change even with this injury.
They are still good…
— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) November 15, 2025
Just look at the Florida Panthers and the injuries they are dealing with. Aleksander Barkov lost for the regular season, if not the whole season. Matthew Tkachuk will finally return at the end of December. Dmitry Kulikov, Jonah Gadjovich, and Tomas Nosek are all out of the lineup. Panthers head coach Paul Maurice had his day to be sad when Barkov got hurt, and then it was back to work.
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The Devils knew yesterday the severity of the injury and that was their day to be sad, as it is back to work on Saturday night. New Jersey can’t jeopardize its great start, sitting atop the Eastern Conference and the Metro with 25 points, one up on the Carolina Hurricanes, who are 12-4-1 through 17 games.
Jack Hughes himself was also off to a great start with 20 points (10 goals and 10 assists) in those 17 games. But, as noted yesterday on DevilsNation.com, he has played only one season close to 82 games. That came in the 2022-23 season, when he played 78 games and finished with 99 points.
Jack Hughes now joins the list of the walking wounded for the New Jersey Devils. They are missing Johnathan Kovacevic, Brett Pesce, Dougie Hamilton, Zack MacEwen, Cody Glass, Evgeni Dadonov, and Connor Brown. That’s over $35 million out of the lineup.
The #NJDevils are going to take the ice tomorrow with over 35 million out of the lineup pic.twitter.com/TYIkmyD2KR
— Andrew Timoni ???? (@AndrewTimoni) November 15, 2025
This is a significant blow to an offense that was finding its groove. It will be interesting to see how this affects Jack Hughes’s participation for Team USA at the Olympics. Did he have a spot already locked up, or was he borderline?
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Once again, it is next man up for the New Jersey Devils. But this time, we may see a move from President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald. At the deadline last year, Hughes’s shoulder injury changed plans, but this year, with the depth at center being tested, they could go after someone big to fill the void and round out the group.
The New Jersey Devils will look to continue to play a strong defensive game with Jack Hughes out of the lineup. But now they have to prove it isn’t just about one guy. It takes a team to win.
