Tate McRae Attends Jack Hughes’ Return Game as Devils Fall to Sabres

Jack Hughes returned to the New Jersey Devils’ lineup on Sunday night, just more than five weeks after undergoing finger surgery, and scored the home team’s only goal in a 3–1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Hughes, 24, was activated off injured reserve and played his first game since November. He received a loud ovation when he skated out for warmups. At 8:51 of the first period, Hughes scored his 11th goal of the season to give the Devils a 1–0 lead. The goal prompted sustained cheers as he skated to center ice, where he was mobbed by teammates. Buffalo later tied the game and scored twice in the second period, then added an empty-net goal late in the third period to secure the win, which was the Sabres’ sixth straight.

Hughes underwent surgery on November 15 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York after injuring his right hand during a team dinner in Chicago a couple of nights earlier. At the time of the procedure, he was expected to miss two months. His return came just over five weeks later.

“For me personally, it was really fun to get back out there and play,” Hughes said. “I’m glad I’m out there playing again; it’s the best thing to do. When you’re sitting on the couch and guys are playing, that’s the taxing part of being injured. You want to be out there. That’s what you want to do the most.”

At the time of his injury, Hughes was the Devils’ leading scorer with 20 points, and New Jersey was in first place in the Eastern Conference. Without him, the Devils lost 10 of the 18 games he missed.

Selected first overall by New Jersey in the 2019 NHL Draft, Hughes scored 27 goals in 62 games in each of the past two seasons. In the 2022–23 season, he recorded a career-high 43 goals and totaled 99 points as the Devils finished with 52 wins and 112 points.

Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Hughes created several quality opportunities in his return, but said the team’s overall play was not enough.

“Great goal by Jack. He was responsible for four or five high-danger chances that he created for himself or others in the first period,” Keefe said. “Overall as a team, we didn’t play well enough for three periods to win the game.”

Hughes’ return also influenced betting markets ahead of New Jersey’s next game against the New York Islanders on December 23 at UBS Arena. Sportsbooks including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, PointsBet, and Caesars listed the Devils as narrow road favorites, with moneylines ranging from -125 to -130, while the Islanders were priced between +105 and +110. Totals varied by book, with over/under lines posted at both 5.5 and 6 goals.

Player prop markets focused closely on Hughes. He was listed at -210 to record at least one point in the Islanders game, with a two-point performance priced at +205. In awards futures, BetMGM listed Hughes at +3000 in Hart Trophy odds. Team futures listed New Jersey at +2000 to win the Stanley Cup on Covers, +900 to win the Eastern Conference, and +900 to win the Metropolitan Division, while BetMGM posted the Devils at +1100 to win the division and -220 to make the playoffs.

Getting back into game action also keeps Hughes eligible for selection to the United States Olympic team, with the roster deadline for the Milan-Cortina Games set for December 31.

The Devils also had forward Timo Meier back in the lineup after he missed five games earlier this month while taking a leave of absence to attend to a family health matter.

The game drew additional attention because pop star Tate McRae attended and watched from the players’ box. Relationship rumors involving Hughes and McRae began after they were seen dining together in New York City in late November 2025. After that dinner, McRae shared a selfie overlaid with her song “NOBODY’S GIRL,” which had been released just days earlier, adding to online discussion. During the December 21 game, fans reacted on X, formerly known as Twitter. One wrote, “No wonder bro is locked in,” while another posted, “jack i am so sorry for doubting you king i thought you fumbled her.”

The Devils opened the season with an eight-game winning streak in October before the Colorado Avalanche ended it on October 28. In late November and early December, New Jersey went through a five-game losing streak while dealing with injuries. Defensemen Simon Nemec and Brett Pesce both missed time this season, with Pesce returning this week and pairing again with Luke Hughes, Jack Hughes’ brother.

During Jack Hughes’ absence, Luke Hughes recorded 18 points this season, including three goals, and played on both the power play and penalty kill units.