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Devils Announce Jack Hughes News Before Sabres Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ankit Kumar | Last updated Dec 21, 2025 2:17 PM ET

The New Jersey Devils delivered welcome news before Sunday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

The team announced that Jack Hughes will return to the lineup after missing 18 games with a finger injury. The Devils shared the update on social media, writing, “Jack IS back tonight,” and credited Hughes himself as the source.

The announcement included a short video of Hughes smiling and laughing. In the clip, he confirmed he would play, saying, "Yeah, man, I will play tonight, and yeah, just ease my way in, that's all."

Jack IS back tonight!

Source: literally Jack Hughes. pic.twitter.com/yvJoYmkHme
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) December 21, 2025

Hughes was activated from injured reserve ahead of the matchup at Prudential Center. He is expected to slot back into a top-six role and see time on the first power-play unit. Head coach Sheldon Keefe said he does not plan to limit Hughes.

"He wouldn't be playing if he wasn't good to go," Keefe said. "He feels very confident and comfortable in going, and I was satisfied with what I saw, too, that he's in a good place and we're excited to have him."

Hughes has been sidelined since mid-November after undergoing surgery for what the team described as a non-hockey injury. Before going down, he produced 10 goals and 20 points in just 17 games. His return comes earlier than expected and provides a boost to a Devils lineup that went 8-10-0 without him.

The Devils are also welcoming back Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk. With those returns, Juho Lammikko and Angus Crookshank will come out of the lineup.

New Jersey enters the game at 20-14-1, sitting in playoff position. The team handled adversity well and is ready for the challenging season ahead.

The Devils host the Sabres at 7 p.m. ET Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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