Jack Hughes did not play college hockey; he went straight from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP) to the NHL, where he was drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2019.

Quick Scoop: Where did Jack Hughes play college hockey?

Despite how common the college route is for top American players, Jack Hughes actually never played NCAA college hockey. Instead:

  • He played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP), including the U.S. National U17 and U18 teams.
  • From there, he was drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
  • He jumped directly into the NHL rather than committing to or playing for a college program.

Some confusion comes from the fact that there are other players also named “Jack Hughes” who did play NCAA hockey:

  • A Jack Hughes who played at Northeastern and then transferred to Boston University.
  • Another Jack Hughes listed on the Tufts University roster.

But the New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes (born May 14, 2001, first overall pick in 2019) is the one most people mean—and he did not play college hockey.

TL;DR: If you’re asking “where did Jack Hughes play college hockey?” the answer is: he didn’t—he went from USNTDP straight to the New Jersey Devils in the NHL.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.