Why TJ Hughes Is Suddenly A Major Part Of the Avalanche's Opening-Night Plans
Jared Bednar confirmed T.J. Hughes makes the Avalanche opening-night roster and joins the first power-play unit. The rookie's hat trick against the Jets in a 5-2 win made the decision straightforward.
T.J. Hughes is on the Colorado Avalanche's opening-night roster, and head coach Jared Bednar made it official on Sunday. The rookie forward didn't just scrape through camp either; he earned a spot on the team's first power-play unit alongside Nathan MacKinnon, who shifts to the right wall to accommodate him. Hughes put his best case forward on Friday against the Winnipeg Jets, posting a hat trick and an assist in Colorado's convincing 5-2 preseason victory at Ball Arena. While his performance made the choice much easier, Bednar noted that the coaching staff held off on making any final roster decisions until Saturday, electing to utilise the full training camp and exhibition window before officially delivering the call.
Is T.J. Hughes ready for the NHL after his college career at Michigan?
The short answer, based on what Bednar said Sunday, is yes. But the numbers from Hughes' time at Michigan back that up in a way that's hard to argue with. Over four seasons at Ann Arbor, Hughes put up 179 points in 156 games, a pace that only a handful of college players in recent memory can match. His senior year alone saw him post 57 points across 40 games, earn Big Ten Player of the Year and First-Team All-American honours, and become one of three Hobey Baker Award finalists. He also left as the Big Ten's all-time conference scoring leader with 108 points.
The transition from college hockey to the NHL is where most prospects stumble. Hughes, at least through training camp and the preseason, hasn't looked like a guy still figuring things out. Bednar described him as someone with an "elite brain" and a "great skill level," and was direct about his intentions: "He's going to play. He's starting with us." That kind of language from a head coach isn't routine praise for a rookie. It signals genuine trust.
What did T.J. Hughes do in the preseason to lock down his Avalanche roster spot?
Hughes made his strongest case on Friday against the Jets, scoring a hat trick in Colorado's 4-3 victory and finishing with four points on the night. It was the kind of performance that forces a decision. But Bednar was honest about how the process actually worked. When asked whether Hughes had already done enough before the hat trick, the coach said no, that decisions weren't made until after the game, and that the full window of training camp and exhibition time was always going to be used before anything was finalised.
That honesty matters. It tells you the door was still open for other players, including Gavin Brindley, who was also competing for one of those final forward spots. Hughes winning that battle cleanly, not by default, carries real weight heading into the regular season.
What Colorado gets is a forward who knows how to produce, has handled pressure before, and, according to his own coach, doesn't look out of place at this level. Now playing on the top power-play unit from day one, Hughes has both the opportunity and the expectation that comes with it.