While the New Jersey Devils and Team USA deal with the fallout from the freak injury to Jack Hughes at a team dinner, the details of what actually happened have been sketchy.
How does a player get injured at dinner?
During the Headlines Segment of Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported he heard from multiple sources that the basis for the incident was that Hughes slipped and fell.
“I’ve heard it from multiple places, Hughes slipped and fell and cut himself on some glass,” Friedman said.
Friedman also reported that the Devils and Team USA consider Hughes’s eight-week timeline to be good news, as he should return in January for the NHL squad and be fully ready for the Olympics in Milan in February.
The Devils confirmed via media release that Hughes underwent successful finger surgery:
“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.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe also confirmed the team had spoken to other players and members of the training staff who were at the dinner and were satisfied “that it could have happened to anyone.”
However, the Devils have largely been mum on the full story.
This season, Hughes was off to a strong start, scoring 10 goals with 10 assists in just 17 games. Dawson Mercer will likely elevate in the lineup to fill Hughes’ spot for the next two months, though additional moves remain a possibility.
