DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the team has signed forward T.J. Hughes to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2026-27 campaign. He will join the Colorado Eagles on an AHL Professional Tryout agreement (PTO) for the remainder of the 2025-26 season.
Hughes 24, was the captain of the University of Michigan team that fell to University of Denver in double overtime in the Frozen Four Semifinal on Thursday. On the season, he registered 57 points (22g/35a) in 40 contests to rank second in the nation in scoring and lead the Wolverines in points. He also finished second in both goals and assists and set collegiate single-season career-highs for tallies, helpers and points in the process.
In 2025-26, Hughes filled his portfolio by capturing First Team AHCA/CCM All-America honors, the Big Ten Player of the Year, earned a Big Ten First All-Star Team selection, a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and was a Hobey Baker Award “Hat Trick” Finalist.
The 6-foot, 185-pound forward played four seasons for Michigan (2022-26) and amassed 179 points (69g/110a) over 156 contests. He led the team in scoring each of the last two seasons and helped guide the Wolverines to the Frozen Four in three of his four campaigns in Ann Arbor. In addition to his 2025-26 individual awards, Hughes took home Second Team All-Big Ten honors in the 2024-25 season when he tallied his 100th career point, and was Honorable Mention All-Big Ten squads in both 2023-24 and 2022-23. Hughes was teammates with Avalanche prospect and fellow former Big Ten Player of the Year Gavin Brindley from 2022-24.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Hughes competed for the Alberta Junior Hockey League’s Brooks Bandits from 2019-22 and registered 194 points (94g/100a) over 138 regular-season games and added 23 points (12g/11a) over 11 AJHL playoff contests. The Bandits captured the Inter Pipeline Cup in 2022. That championship campaign, Hughes paced the circuit in goals with 66 and was named the league’s Forward of the Year. The season before that, he took home the Ernie Love Trophy as the skater who tallied the most points (31). Hughes was teammates with Avalanche prospect Taylor Makar in Brooks from 2019-21.
Hughes also played one game for the Ontario Junior Hockey League’s Burlington Cougars in 2018-19 and spent two seasons in the GOJHL from 2017-19.
