BLOG: Hughes names Kane as favorite NHL Player
The top prospect played alongside #88 at the World Championships in May
by Austin Siegel / Blackhawks.com
After months at the top of every mock draft and prospect ranking in the world, Jack Hughes has every reason to walk around the Combine like a kid who knows all the answers to the test.
He didn't wait until Draft night to name his favorite NHL player, an answer that will come as no surprise to Blackhawks fans.
"Kaner is unreal. I've probably watched all of his goals from the last ten years. That's a guy I love watching play, he's probably my favorite player," Hughes said of #88. "To kind of get to know him up close, be around him, see him play, practice with him, it's just a lot of fun to see that up close."
Video: Jack Hughes on Patrick Kane
Hughes and Kane were teammates at last month's World Championships in Slovakia, sharing the ice for Team USA throughout the tournament. It was a dream realized for Hughes.
"I thought I knew Patrick Kane the superstar, how good of a player he is, but I think I got to know Patrick Kane as a human," he said. "He's the ultimate USA ambassador. Helping young guys like me out, going to the World Championships in back-to-back years. He's just a hockey player and he loves it."