You’d be hard-pressed to find another example of fans turning on their own player as New Jersey Devils fans did on Sunday night at the Prudential Center hosting their division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes.
On Carolina’s first shot of the game, Jake Allen left a rebound created by Nikolaj Ehlers at the top of his crease. Luke Hughes, playing the net-front swiped at the loose puck, and accidentally pushed the rubber over his own goal line to give the Hurricanes a 1–0 lead 50 seconds into the game.
Immediately, you could see the look of discouragement on Luke’s face.
The boo birds didn’t arrive then, however. These things happen from time to time. Luke isn’t the first player to score an own goal, and he won’t be the last.
However, to do it twice in the same game? Now, that’s something many of us watching the game probably have never seen before.
And that’s what happened. The Devils struggled all night against the Hurricanes forecheck, Luke included. And when the 22-year-old defenseman attempted to skate the puck away from danger, he moved it through his own crease. Taylor Hall—applying heavy pressure—poked the puck off Luke’s stick and by Allen yet again, giving the Hurricanes another lead, 2-1.
What came next was even less expected than two own goals by a player.
Devils fans quickly turned on Luke, booing him every time he touched the puck in the second period.
After the 3-1 loss, a clearly dejected Hughes faced the media, and reacted to the boos directed at him.
“It is what it is,” Luke explained. “That’s part of sports. Obviously, I made a couple of mistakes today, and I’ve got to be better. And, you know, it is what it is.”
Sheldon Keefe opted to keep Luke on the ice for his very next shift, and for his next 10 touches, Devils fans booed him loudly.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s good that I have his confidence, and I think I’ve deserved that over the 41 games throughout the year,” Luke said. “I think I’ve played pretty good hockey, and obviously tonight I made some mistakes, but, you know, I just go game by game, and it’s nice that he believes in me.”
The Devils signed Luke to a seven-year extension that carries a $9 million average annual value this summer. The contract negotiations forced Luke to miss all training camp, and he made it to Game One of the regular season by the skin of his teeth.
Amid injuries throughout this season, Luke has been asked to play in a larger role than the Devils anticipated to start the season.
In 42 games this season, Luke’s scored four goals and 21 points.
Now, back at near full health, he’s on second-pair duties with Brett Pesce.
