Future top NHL draft pick showing off skills in Everett

EVERETT— Jack Hughes is next. And he can’t wait for his moment.

Hughes, thought of by pundits as the best American hockey prospect since Toronto’s Auston Matthews or Chicago’s Patrick Kane, made his first appearance at Angel of the Winds Arena for USA Hockey’s World Junior training camp on Saturday. The draft-eligible center is expected to be the first player taken in the 2019 NHL draft and is also expected to be a heavy contributor for the Americans’ U-20 squad, despite being just 17.

Hughes waited patiently and soaked in the experience of his older brother, Quinn Hughes, who played in his first World Juniors last season and was selected No. 7 overall by Vancouver, but is eager to start his own journey.

“It’s all fun for me,” Jack Hughes said. “Growing up, you always dream of your draft year and things like World Juniors. For me, I’m just taking it all in and enjoying the process, not just wanting to get by and thinking about lists and where I’m going. I’m kind of just having fun with it and playing my game.”

Hughes has been on the draft radar for some time, but it amplified after a tremendous season with USA Hockey’s National Development Team Program, putting up 116 points — one shy of Matthews’ program record. The only difference is Hughes was just 16 during his prolific season, while Matthews was 17.

Hughes was easy to pick out of the crowd of other USA skaters on Saturday, and not just because he was required to wear a cage on his helmet because he’s under 18 years old, but because of his elite skill and the speed in which he plays with.

“Jack is a special player. On any team he’s going to be a special player,” USA hockey general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said.

A lot of hype and expectations can sometimes bring a big ego out of players, but Vanbiesbrouck said he hasn’t seen any of that with Hughes.

“We don’t want to be bashful about it and shake the story, but we have to manage it and manage him,” he said. “And it’s not that hard to do when a guy like that has the puck on his stick a lot and controls the play.

“He’s been very focused on the tournament, he’s been very focused with the U.S. National Development Program and I think we see some leadership coming through. … We’re happy that he’s on our side.”

Jack and Quinn, a 19-year-old defenseman currently playing for the University of Michigan, haven’t had much overlap in their hockey careers, so the World Juniors will be the hockey communities first look at them playing on the ice together. Team USA head coach Mike Hastings said they’ve displayed a special chemistry from the get-go.

“I can tell you that they enjoy playing together, and not because they told me, just because of what you see,” Hastings said. “They look for each other, and that’s OK. I think there’s a good relationship there.”

Playing on the largest international stage in junior hockey with his older brother by his side is one Jack said he’ll cherish.

“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “(It’s) kind of just a dream come true being able to wear a USA jersey with him, especially at the World Junior stage. … It’s obviously really cool and something I won’t take for granted.”