Jack Hughes got a surprising look from the New Jersey Hall of Fame, but when the final class was announced, the Devils star was left out.
That part is no huge shock given where Hughes is in his career. He’s still young, and his candidacy was always the kind that turned heads because of how quickly he’s become one of hockey’s biggest names. His profile got a major boost in April after he scored the Golden Goal to give Team USA its first gold medal in men’s hockey in 46 years, then returned to the U.S. and delivered a speech about how much New Jersey means to him.
Hughes has made a habit of embracing the state that raised his public profile in hockey. He’s connected himself to New Jersey in a way fans here appreciate, from the Shore to Hoboken and beyond. So seeing his name on the nominee list made sense, even if the honor ultimately went elsewhere.
The Devils connection didn’t disappear, though. Dr.
John McMullen was selected for the Hall, adding another recognition to a name already in the Devils Ring of Honor. McMullen, who is now being honored posthumously, was the man who brought the Devils to New Jersey after first getting involved in sports as a limited partner in the New York Yankees.
He later sold that stake after frustrations with George Steinbrenner and turned his attention to hockey, the sport he played at the Naval Academy.
More than 40 years later, the move still matters. The Devils remain the last major New Jersey team that actually carries the state’s name, unlike the Jets, Giants and Red Bulls.
McMullen will be honored along with the rest of the class on September 24th at an awards show hosted by Danny DeVito.
The full list of honorees and nominees includes Lawrence Taylor, SZA, Tom Weatherall, James E. Burke, Robert C.
Garrett, Christopher J. Paladino, Geraldine R.
Dodge, Thomas M. Eastwick, Edward Brigati, Jr., David Brigati, Dino Danelli, Donald Milford Payne Sr., and Governor Christine Todd Whitman.
In the sports category, McMullen was the only name announced.
In Other News...
Devils Just Unveiled A Giveaway Fans Will Argue About All Season
The Devils have already started to sketch out what the 2026-27 season will feel like off the ice, unveiling a slate of theme nights and giveaways that mixes the usual arena promotions with a few items that are bound to get people talking. The team split the calendar into Theme Nights, Theme Nights and Giveaways, and Cultural Celebrations, giving fans a look at how it plans to frame the season long before puck drop.
The most eye-catching item may be the Thanksgiving Week promotion, when the Devils will hand out a butter dish modeled after the team bench, a choice that feels equal parts clever and absurd. The rest of the giveaway list keeps things more familiar, with a Luke Hughes bobblehead, a light-up LED stick and a military hat also on the docket, but it is the bench-inspired butter dish that figures to draw the strongest reaction once fans start debating the holiday lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Make A Crease Change That Could Shape Their Goaltending Future
The Devils have made a notable change behind the bench, bringing in Dan Stewart as their new goaltending coach after parting ways with Dave Rogalski. It is the kind of move that can fly under the radar outside the room, but in hockey it often says plenty about where a team thinks it needs to sharpen its edge. Stewart arrives with a background that includes work in the St. Louis Blues organization along with stops at the college level, giving New Jersey a coach who has seen the position from a few different angles.
For a team still sorting out its long-term crease picture, the hire matters well beyond one summer staffing decision. Goaltending development can shape everything from confidence to roster planning, and the Devils are clearly betting Stewart can help guide that process in a different direction. How quickly that shows up on the ice will be worth watching, because this is the kind of change that can quietly influence a franchise for a long time. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Just Gave Fans A Very Strange Thanksgiving Reason To Show Up
The Devils are leaning hard into the holiday mood for their Nov. 23 matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they have a giveaway lined up that fits the season in a very odd, very hockey way. The first 9,000 fans through the doors will receive a Devils Butter Bench, a hockey bench-shaped butter dish stamped with the team logo, part of a Thanksgiving-themed push meant to make the game feel a little more festive.
It is the kind of promotion that sounds almost too specific to be real, but it also fits a broader NHL trend of teams turning ordinary kitchenware into a novelty prize for the home crowd. For New Jersey, the idea is simple enough: give fans something memorable, tie the night to Thanksgiving, and add one more reason to show up as the holiday schedule gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]