The Colorado Avalanche are placing a ton of trust in a rookie to begin the 2026-27 NHL season.
It sounds like T.J. Hughes, who has yet to play an NHL game, will take on a prominent role right from the outset for the Avs, who begin their season Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Hughes, of course, is a prominent last name in hockey these days.
Quinn Hughes is a superstar defenseman for the Minnesota Wild on the verge of a massive contract extension.
Jack Hughes is his star brother who plays for the New Jersey Devils and who won the 2026 Winter Olympics gold medal for Team USA with his magical goal.
And Luke Hughes plays with his brother Jack on the Devils.
That brings us to T.J. Hughes, who is all of a sudden going to feel like he’s got quite the common last name.
His connection to those others, though, isn’t what you might think.
Is T.J. Hughes Related to Quinn, Jack, Luke Hughes Brothers?
No, T.J. actually isn’t related to the trio of Hughes brothers already in the NHL.
Those three are indeed brothers, as most hockey fans know.
T.J. isn’t a part of that crew. He just shares their last name.
T.J. Hughes Family
Hughes is the son of Terry and Lisa Hughes.
His last name draws him plenty of attention as a hockey player, given the NHL’s famous Hughes brothers, but as established above, he’s not actually related to them.
This Hughes has two sisters: Olivia and Vanessa. They were both basketball players in college in Canada.
Who is T.J. Hughes?
Hughes is a 24-year old forward originally from Hamilton, Ontario.
He joined the Avalanche for the 2026-27 NHL season after a college career at the University of Michigan.
Hughes played in the Alberta Junior Hockey League before enrolling at Michigan, and in his final AJHL season he had 66 goals and 61 assists in 60 games.
Is T.J. Hughes Related to Quinn, Jack, Luke? How Avalanche Rookie Connects to Star Brothers