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SPORTS Wednesday 2 OctOber 2019

Culture is key in developing NHL prospects, Devils GM says

By JOHN WAWROW pare to open their season
AP Hockey Writer hosting Winnipeg on Friday.
Whether it involves New The 5-foot-10, 170-pound
Jersey rookie center Jack Hughes displayed how
Hughes or any other pros- much of a competitor he is
pect, Devils general man- in expressing how unhappy
ager Ray Shero says the he was losing in his first NHL
most important aspects of competitive setting — a 6-4
a prospect's development loss to Buffalo in in the Sa-
must be in place before bres prospects tournament
first stepping into the locker last month.
room. "We kind of got lucky to put
Simply put, the key is cul- four on the board, and only
ture, and how it rubs off on gave up six. Disappointing
an impressionable 18-year- game," Hughes said.
old. The youngster responded
"If you have a bad group once the preseason be-
of guys, if you're not in a gan by scoring twice, in-
good environment in terms cluding the decisive goal,
of work ethic, you're like, on a give-and-go with Ni-
'OK, that's how it's done kita Gusev in a 4-3 overtime
here, great. I'm not going win in his preseason debut
to work, I'm going to stay against Boston.
out 'til 4 o'clock,'" Shero told Devils defenseman P.K. New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes celebrates after scoring a goal during the first period of
The Associated Press. Subban was so impressed, the team's preseason NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019, in
"If there's accountabil- he referred to Hughes' per- Newark, N.J.
ity, and that's really a big formance as "nasty." Associated Press
thing in terms with anything And the player who spent
whether it's business, sports, the past two years setting couraging Hughes' devel- said. COUVER
whatever ... when you USA Hockey's National De- opment by assigning him a Devils assistant GM Tom A play-making defense-
walk into that it's 'Oh, that's velopment Program's scor- locker next to Hall. Fitzgerald said Hughes' man, Hughes spent two
how it's done,'" he added. ing record followed up by Hall sees his role as being turnovers are no different years at Michigan before
"There's learning curves scoring a breakaway goal someone Hughes can use than what he saw during his closing last season with
for everything on and off 34 seconds into a 4-2 win as a sounding board time in Pittsburgh with then- three assists in five games
the ice. I think the better over the Rangers a few "He's taking in a lot of infor- youngsters Sidney Crosby with the Canucks.
you support those guys as days later. Hughes finished mation every day, so help- and Evgeni Malkin. RW KAAPO KAKKO, NEW
young kids and teenagers, the preseason with three ing him with that. It's more "I just think you allow the YORK RANGERS
the better off they're going goals and an assist in four leading by example," Hall player to be who they Selected second overall
to be." games. said. "I think it's up to us are, and that's what he is," behind Jack Hughes, the
The start of the NHL season Coming from a hockey as players as coaches as Fitzgerald said. "Jack's a 6-foot-2, 194-pound for-
this week places the focus family in which his brother management to shelter magician with the puck." ward led Finland with six
on a new crop of young- Quinn is a defenseman him as much as possible to Here's a list of other young- goals in 10 games at the
sters set to make their de- in Vancouver and father make sure all his energy is ster to keep an eye on this world championships. His
buts. Jim a former coach, Jack going toward hockey." season: 22 goals in the Finnish Elite
In New Jersey, all eyes are Hughes understands he Like any youngster, Hughes D CALE MAKAR, COLORA- League last season were
on Hughes, the under-sized, has not accomplished any- is bound to make mistakes. DO the most by a draft-eligible
play-making center who thing just yet. And he got One issue that stood out in After helping UMass make player.
became the eighth Amer- a taste of what playing in Buffalo was the number of its first Frozen Four appear- LW ALEXANDRE TEXIER, CO-
ican-born player selected the NHL would be like rep- times he coughed up the ance in April, college hock- LUMBUS
with the top pick in June. resenting the United States puck. ey's Hobey Baker Award- The 20-year-old is being
He joins a team that fea- at the world hockey cham- Former NHLer turned broad- winner made the jump to counted upon to be part
tures two other No. 1 draft pionships in May. caster Ed Olczyk isn't con- the NHL by joining Colorado of the Blue Jackets' young
picks in Taylor Hall, who was "I went into this summer cerned, believing Hughes in the midst of its first-round core to step up following
selected first by Edmonton knowing I needed a lot of will learn to adapt. playoff series with Calgary. the offseason free-agency
in the 2010 draft, and Nico work to be done. I kind of "He's going to try things that He became the first defen- departures of Artemi Pan-
Hischier, selected No. 1 by figured it out that it wasn't he won't in 50 games game seman to score a playoff arin and Matt Duchene.
the Devils in 2017. the USHL," he said. "It was from now or 100 games goal in his NHL debut and Texier had two goals and
Nothing Hughes has done kind of wakeup call to work from now. You've going to finished with a goal and an assist in eight playoff
thus far should give Shero on my game and get a lot have to take the good with five assists in 10 games. games with Columbus last
pause as the Devils pre- better." The Devils are en- the bad and vice versa," he D QUINN HUGHES, VAN- spring.q