Jack Hughes scored the game-winning goal in the New Jersey Devils' 4-3 overtime win over the Colorado Avalanche. Following the victory, the Devils' star center discussed his renewed love for reading, including a new literacy program launched with his brothers. Hughes packed Ayn Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged' for the team's upcoming four-game road trip.
The New Jersey Devils secured a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory against the Colorado Avalanche, with Jack Hughes netting the decisive goal. As the team prepares for a four-game road trip starting in Denver for a home-and-home series with the Avalanche, Hughes revealed details about his personal interests beyond the ice.
Hughes, 24, reignited his passion for reading three years ago during his fifth NHL season at age 22. 'I wasn't an anti-reader, but I just didn't read for so many years,' he told The Hockey News after a recent practice. 'I think it must have been three years ago.' He uses downtime on buses and planes to dive into books, finding it a way to disconnect from hockey. 'You turn your brain off and you are thinking about other things,' Hughes explained. 'It is nice not to be on your phone or watch TV. It is nice to sit and chill.' He prefers physical books over devices like Kindles.
This interest has inspired community action. The Devils recently announced 'Pucks & Pages,' a multi-year reading program developed by the Hughes brothers in partnership with JAG Physical Therapy and Hockey in New Jersey to promote literacy among youth in the state. 'Pucks & Pages is an awesome program that we are excited to be creating,' said Jack and Luke Hughes. 'It is an interactive way to engage students with our passion for reading for many years to come. We are lucky JAG partnered with us, along with Hockey in New Jersey, so we can bring people to the game, meet them after, and share that experience.'
John Gallucci Jr., President & CEO of JAG Physical Therapy, added: 'We have been in partnership with the New Jersey Devils for over 20 years, and we are honored to be a part of Jack and Luke's new program, working alongside them to help support reading among our youth hockey players.'
Hughes' reading habit stems from a friendly competition with older brother Quinn, where he read 50 books in a single season. His favorite from that challenge was 'Kane and Abel' by Jeffrey Archer. 'That was a book I crushed in a few days,' he said. The brothers maintain a home library in Michigan, using it as motivation to build their collection. 'That is kind of how it got going big time because we wanted to fill up the library and make it full of books we have read,' Hughes noted. 'People come to see it, and it is a fun thing for us.'