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Devils' Jack Hughes Reacts to Joining Auston Matthews at Team USA

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Dec 6, 2024 6:30 AM ET

Jack Hughes is certainly excited about the prospect of sharing the ice with Auston Matthews at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off scheduled for February 2025.

The New Jersey Devils star was named into Team USA's final roster for the competition on Thursday and will represent the nation in the international tournament next year.

The Devils forward opened up about the opportunity to potentially line up alongside Maple Leafs superstar Matthews, praising the Leafs captain’s scoring prowess.

"Just seeing him and (fellow Maple Leafs forward) Mitch Marner do their thing," Hughes said, "It'd be fun to play with a guy that has scored [69] goals in the NHL, so even if it's a few games, that's something I'm definitely looking forward to ... the possibility of that."

The 4 Nations tournament is set to take place in Boston and Montreal from February 12–20 and will feature powerhouse teams from Canada, Sweden, Finland, and the USA.

Matthews was named in the initial six-man roster for the tournament by Team USA, and could find himself paired with Hughes, who expressed admiration for the talent about to surround him in the tourney.

"When you look at the roster, I kind of assume I'll play the wing and that's really exciting," Hughes said. "With the level of players there, whether it's center or wing, or whatever it is, I'm excited to play with some guys that usually we see on a nightly basis.

"You watch them and you're like, 'Wow, they're great players,' so for me to get the chance to play with them, that's pretty exciting."

This season, Hughes is having a breakout-type year with 33 points in 28 games and tied for 14th in that column among all NHL skaters.

Matthews, who has tallied 16 points in 16 games this season, plays center and could be the perfect teammate for Hughes as he has the goalscoring prowess that should fit Hughes' passing skills (22 of his 33 points came via assists) perfectly.

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

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