We’re in the New Year and whether it’s wrapping up things from 2025 or beginning the marathon of the months ahead, we have all got into the flow. With the holiday season behind us, we tend to countdown to the Spring. Part of that process is navigating Cold & Flu season. We took some time to sit down with NHL New Jersey Devils Center, Jack Hughes to talk about his love for the game of hockey, playing on this team, his Olympic debut, and his partnership with Mucinex Kickstart!
ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you realize that you fell in love with hockey?
JACK HUGHES: Like honestly, super young I would say! Like, my older brother played (Editor’s Note: Quinn plays for the Minnesota Wild and his younger brother Luke plays for the Devils - they are the first trio of brothers to all be top-7 NHL draft picks and are cover athletes for EA Sports' NHL 25), both of my parents played, and growing up, hockey was always around! I always had a stick in my hand. It was probably when I was extremely young and we were on the ice skating. My brother did it so I would say that I would have been 2 or 3.
AM: That is pretty crazy and amazing!
At what point did you realize that you wanted to go pro?
JH: I mean, I don’t think that you really realize that, I think that when you’re 8 years old, you’re playing to have fun and then it’s the same when you’re 12 and then 14. But maybe, when I was 16, that’s when I started to realize that maybe that would be realistic, you know? That’s when hockey gets more serious and the pyramid starts to shrink a little bit! Just growing up, that was always a dream of mine! I just wanted to play – to play in the NHL, but it just seemed so far fetched at the time.
AM: You got drafted in 2019 and you play for the New Jersey Devils, what does it mean to you to be on this team?
JH: Yeah, it’s good! I enjoy playing on the team and also living there. It’s the only team that I have played for in my career and I really enjoy it. It’s a place that I call home now and I love it and I have really loved my time here.
AM: Clearly playing this sport is a total body workout! What are 3 workouts that you do to get ready for Game Day?
JH: Well, workouts that I do, it’s kind of hard because you’re playing every night! You’re kind of just warming up and activating and you’re trying to keep your body feeling good and staying loose. But you also want to be kept strong and to keep it that way throughout the year. It’s important to get your rest obviously and your cardio is at such a high level because of all of the games and all of the skating, so there is so much that goes into it. But you’re just trying to keep your body feeling good for when you do play.
AM: What are your foods that are you’re go-to’s that you enjoy eating?
JH: I obviously love desserts, but I can’t have those all of the time! But things that keep me going for Game Day are things like sweet potatoes, a lot of high protein things like steak and chicken – you have to do all of that! Eggs, a ton of eggs in the morning is another one. I don’t know, it’s kind of like, you don’t really eat for food or enjoyment, it’s for fuel so that you can fuel yourself so that you can feel good and you can feel energized.
AM: With the Olympics coming up, you’re going to be competing on that global stage, what does it mean to you to be able to do this?
JH: It’s just a huge dream of mine. You know, I grew up as a proud American so it’s a big dream to be able to play for your country in the Olympics and it’s the biggest stage in hockey. So to be able to be a part of it is something that I have dreamed of for my entire life and I’m excited to be able to go through that process.
AM: You’ve partnered with Mucinex and Athleisure Mag is based in NYC and we’ve had a mix of some mild days and some cold days but you know this is the time of year where we are navigating Cold + Flu season. Why did you want to partner with Mucinex and what are you doing to make sure that you are staying cold and flu free?
JH: Honestly, you have a ton of late nights traveling and you’re always moving around going from city to city. You try to stay at your best, but obviously, you get sick sometimes! I feel like Mucinex is at every locker room. Players are taking Mucinex for multi-symptom relief so that they can feel better and feel ready to try to be able to perform at their best. You have to do that and you have to get your rest as well. You just try to feel as good as you can!
AM: Can you tell us about the Kickstart to Greatness Campaign that you launched as you have partnered with Mucinex Kickstart which honors the real key heroes of youth hockey - the mentors and programs that have helped shape young hockey players?
JH: Yeah! They have partnered with USA Hockey Foundation and have donated $20,000 to help fund the young American kids that are playing hockey. It’s something that I am super passionate about because I was super young too and obviously, youth hockey is something that is close to my heart. I was grateful to help Mucinex host a youth clinic with USA Hockey and Hockey in New Jersey to help kickstart the next generation of hockey stars. It’s an easy thing for me to be involved in this as they donated to something that I care about and it is an easy merger with something that I really care about and it is an easy thing to support.
