VICTORIA, British Columbia — Jack Hughes, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, will return to the lineup after missing the past three games with an undisclosed injury when the United States plays Czech Republic on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (8 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN2).
The 5-foot-10, 168-pound center, an A rated skater in NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list, missed an 8-2 win against Kazakhstan on Dec. 28, a 5-4 overtime loss to Sweden on Dec. 29, and a 4-1 win against Finland on Dec. 31.
U.S. defenseman Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) was excited to learn his younger brother is ready to play.
“I think it’ll be a big energy boost for our team,” Quinn Hughes said. “Obviously he’s one of our key players and one of our best players, so to have him back, it should be really good for us.”
Jack Hughes had one assist in 13:46 of ice time in a 2-1 win against Slovakia in the WJC opener on Dec. 26.
“When you get into tournament play like this, you need to have everybody and having a guy who can create plays offensively, is going to help,” U.S. general manager John Vanbiesbrouck said. “You’re going to have to outscore a lot of your mistakes. I know it’s an old cliche, but we know that we’re going to make a few and we’re going to have to expect saves and expect some great plays and that’s what this tournament is magical about. Jack brings that to the table as a top forward.”
U.S. captain Michael Anderson (Los Angeles Kings) said adding a player of Hughes’ caliber in the playoff round will further enhance what the team has already accomplished. The United States ranks second in the tournament with 18 goals scored; Canada is first (23).
“Jack is a great player and he’s been out and we’ve found a way to have success without him in the lineup,” Anderson said. “Now that he’s coming back, he’s going to be a big part and add to what we’ve already been doing.”
U.S. coach Mike Hastings confirmed that defenseman K’Andre Miller (New York Rangers), who missed the win against Finland because of illness, will also return. Goaltender Cayden Primeau (Montreal Canadiens) will make his second straight start and third of the tournament. Primeau is 2-0-0-0 with a 1.50 goals-against average and .928 save percentage in two games.
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