T.J. Hughes has done enough on the ice this preseason to earn a spot on Colorado’s opening-night roster. But the biggest takeaway from his first NHL training camp has come from watching how Gabe Landeskog carries himself.
Hughes already arrived in Colorado with some pro experience under his belt after getting his first taste with the Colorado Eagles last season. In two regular-season games, he scored a goal and added an assist, then followed that up with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 17 playoff games as the Eagles reached the Western Conference Final.
Now he’s moving into the next step, and head coach Jared Bednar confirmed Sunday that Hughes will start the season on the Avalanche’s main roster. That opportunity has been earned in part by what he’s done in camp, but also by the way he’s handled himself around established veterans.
Landeskog, Colorado’s captain, has stood out most.
After Hughes scored three goals and added an assist in the Avalanche’s 5-2 preseason win over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday, Landeskog told Avalanche beat reporter Jesse Montano, “You can just tell he’s got the poise. He’s got poise and he sees the plays,” he stated. “Confidence, he’s got a lot of the tools you need.”
Hughes has been just as impressed from the other side.
“Gabe’s an unbelievable guy,” Hughes told The Hockey News. “I can tell why he’s such a good leader right away.”
What Hughes keeps coming back to is the little stuff. Landeskog makes a point of learning everyone’s name, asking about families and staying available to teammates.
“He wants to learn about everyone, know everyone,” Hughes said. “He knows everyone’s name.
Wants to help everyone. Wants to talk about your family.
Wants to get to know you.”
The attitude matters, too, and Hughes said Landeskog brings it every day.
“He shows up every day with such a great attitude,” Hughes said. “I mean, everyone does, but he’s just always so positive.”
For Hughes, the lesson is bigger than just observing a captain in the room. He sees a style of leadership that he recognizes, only now he’s watching it at the NHL level.
“He has that demeanor where he walks in and he’s the leader,” Hughes said. “He leads by example and he really brings everyone together every day.”
Hughes has also picked up plenty from Brent Burns since arriving in Colorado. He lived with the veteran defenseman for two or three weeks and got a close look at how a player with more than two decades in the league approaches his job.
“It was so much fun,” Hughes said. “He has a great family.
They’re always doing stuff with me. We’re playing different stuff around the house with his kids.”
The off-ice time mattered, but so did the example Burns set in preparation.
“He’s such an experienced guy,” Hughes said. “I learned a lot from him, just like what he does on a day-to-day basis to prepare himself to play at this level.”
That included the details that add up over a long season.
“The way he prepares every day, the way he takes care of his body, what he eats, his recovery - all that stuff is high end,” Hughes said. “He does everything he can to make sure he’s ready to go.”
Between Burns and Landeskog, Hughes has had a front-row seat to two different sides of an NHL career: the work that goes into staying ready, and the leadership that helps hold a room together.
His four-point night against Winnipeg only helped his case to stick with Colorado, but Hughes said he’s still focused on the basics rather than trying to force anything.
“First mindset, just trying to play the right way, playing both ends of the puck,” Hughes said. “I feel like at first it’s just the mentality of playing the right way and then earning your chances, and then when you have those chances, like to have the confidence to make the plays.”
That’s where Hughes is headed into the season - trying to earn every chance while soaking up lessons from players who already know what it takes to last in the league.
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