Diehard Devils fans lined up around the building more than an hour before the start of Wednesday's 3-on-3 tournament at RWJ Barnabus Health Hockey House. They piled into stands at the Devils practice facility and community rink and brought the energy.
2019 first-overall pick Jack Hughes was already impressed with the Devils fanbase, having seen videos of the draft watch party back at the end of June - when thousands of fans cheered his selection. Add in today's festivities and Hughes is over the moon that he'll get to play for this group of loyal supporters.
Tweet from @NJDevils: Hughes Is HereJune 21, 2019 > July 10, 2019 pic.twitter.com/mL23wqc3jc
"I love Jersey already," he said. "It's a diehard fanbase, a lot of jerseys out there today. I think every fan was wearing a jersey pretty much, so it's a lot of fun. The fans here are awesome."
Hughes' squad won the 3-on-3 tournament. He has a message for all the fans who watched.
"I'm just really excited to play here for a lot of years… I'm really excited to get going."
BLOG: Hughes Likes What He Sees From Devils Fans
'I love Jersey already'
