Michigan hockey saw its season come to an end on Thursday night in the Frozen Four as it was outmatched by Quinnipiac, 5-2. The Wolverines never led, and defensive struggles plagued Brandon Naurato's squad for the majority of the 60 minutes.

Luke Hughes didn't have his best game—uncharacteristic of the sophomore defenseman. Hughes showed signs of being under the weather during parts of the game, which would describe his less-than-stellar play.

Regardless of how his play on Thursday night looked, Hughes had a fantastic season for the Wolverines tallying 10 goals and 38 assists for a total of 48 points. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Canton, Michigan native was the fourth overall pick to the New Jersey Devils in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Hughes' contract will be a three-year entry-level deal.

He was part of the impressive 2021 draft class that saw four Wolverines selected in the top five picks. Owen Power, Matty Beniers, Hughes and Kent Johnson went first, second, fourth and fifth overall, respectively.

The New Jersey Devils have already clinched a playoff spot, and the 19-year-old will get an early opportunity to play meaningful hockey down the stretch of the 2022-23 NHL season. The Devils currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 108 points.

---

Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards

Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer

Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink, @JaredHalus

Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify

Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube

Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram