"It was a surreal feeling," Hughes said in between media hits and video shoots on Thursday. "I've been telling him, it's really not a moment you can prepare for because just the odds, it's tough to happen. So many things have to align for it to happen. I didn't expect it. But, it happened and it was just a lot of emotions because I know how hard it is to play with your brother. It's awesome, and I mean, God, I was crazy excited. All of our friends and family were too."
As Hughes was ushered from room to room at Fifth Third Arena in Chicago's West Loop as part of the National Hockey League's Media Tour, his smile was as wide as his hair is long. He soaked in every minute of it, as one of the faces of the Devils franchise.
Tweet from @NJDevils: We out here. #NHLMediaDay pic.twitter.com/m6ydD8lnla
Well, maybe not every moment. Tik Tok, apparently, is not his thing.
"Hell nah," Hughes laughed.
Sorry fans, you probably won't be seeing him on that platform anytime soon.
"It's not in the cards for me," he said, shortly after filming his first - and maybe only - ever Tik Tok for Bleacher Report.
Coming off a big sophomore season in which he showed tremendous growth in his overall game and tightened his grip on his role as the club's number one center, a key piece to the future success of the Black and Red, Hughes represented the team at the media tour. It's a symbolic role, often reserved for those with "star player" as part of their job description in the League. The young Hughes was not out of place in his first trip through the gauntlet.
"It's been good," said Hughes. "I'm happy to be here representing the Devils."
Tweet from @NJDevils: You weren't ready for the hair swoop.#NHLMediaTour | @jackhughes43 pic.twitter.com/j5jLuMj0kI
One of Hughes' favorite parts of the day was helping create content with the League's new media partners ESPN and TNT. Hughes will undoubtedly be one of the top Devils players featured on the new broadcasts as he continues to develop into a key NHL figure.
"They're in the mix now, so it's pretty exciting," he said. "It's going to be cool. It's going to be great for the spot, and should be a lot of fun."
The NHL's Media Tour caps off a big summer for Hughes, which really hit a peak with Luke's drafting but continued to yield exciting moments for the third-year player. One of the bigger moments for Jack personally? Finally nailing that 360 spin on his wakeboard.
"Oh yeah, I've been putting some serious hours in on that this summer," he said. "Hopefully, next summer, I can hit that double 360."
It wasn't all water sports for Hughes this summer. Last offseason he made headlines as he packed on nearly 15 pounds of muscle and mass coming off a rookie season in which he was just getting acclimated to the pro game. This summer, it was more about his growth on the ice in several key areas.
"It was continuing to grow my game," said Hughes. "I worked on getting better with my shot and my speed. I am evolving my whole game a little bit. I feel like I'm in a really good place heading into the season, so ready to get going. I am really excited."
Judging by the questions and buzz he is getting in Chicago, the League is really excited to see what Hughes can bring in year three as well.
