Jack Hughes made it clear he wasn’t interested in turning opening night into a punch line.
During an in-game interview after the first period, ESPN’s AJ Mleczko tried to keep things light with a joke about Hughes’ health. “Well, it’s great to see you healthy, let’s wrap you in bubble wrap and use plastic cutlery this year.
That sound good?” she asked.
Hughes didn’t play along. “I think that’s a weird joke, it’s a big game,” he said, then skated off.
The exchange set off a wave of reaction online, with fans split over whether the question crossed a line or whether Hughes was too sharp in his response. Some felt the reporter missed badly with the joke, while others pointed to Hughes as a player who doesn’t exactly project warmth in moments like this.
“Welp that was awkward,” wrote Pete Blackburn. Another fan said, “AJ Mlezcko with a lead balloon of a question for Jack Hughes.
Absolutely not funny, and then she says that he “has no sense of humor.” Nothing like giving him another reason to dislike the media…”
The bubble wrap and plastic cutlery line was a nod to Hughes’ injury history, and specifically what happened last season. On Nov.
14, 2025, Hughes was hurt at a team dinner in Chicago while the Devils were on the road. Reports called it a freak accident, saying he slipped or leaned on a glass and cut his hand.
He later had surgery on his finger and was expected to miss about eight weeks, with a re-evaluation at the six-week mark.
That injury came at a rough time. Hughes had already put up 10 goals and 20 points in 17 games and was rolling early.
It also raised questions about his status for the 2026 Olympics. Earlier, in March 2025, he had a shoulder injury that required surgery and ended his season.
Durability has followed the former first overall pick as a storyline, and that context is what made the joke land so badly for plenty of viewers. Whether Mleczko meant it harmlessly or not, Hughes clearly wanted no part of it.
For him, the priority is simple: stay healthy and keep the attention on hockey.
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