Original story found on Hockey Mountain High
Colorado Avalanche fans have a lot to be excited about with the recent signing of forward T.J. Hughes. The undrafted free agent and Hobey Baker finalist signed with the Avalanche on April 11th. Hughes, now the former captain of the Michigan Wolverines, led the team in scoring this season. He had 22 goals and 35 assists in only 40 games. But Hughes has been interested in Colorado all season.
“They expressed a lot of interest throughout the whole year,” said Hughes. “Which made me really comfortable with choosing Colorado.”
But it was more than being comfortable with the organization that made Hughes choose the Avalanche and the Colorado Eagles. Visitors to Colorado find out quickly why people choose to live here, and it was no different for the youngster. The winning traditions of the Avs plus the Eagles also heavily influenced his decision.
“They play a similar style of play that I like to play and that I think I can contribute to both lineups,” Hughes pointed out. “I think Colorado is a beautiful place to live, just outside and the weather. Everything is beautiful. And I’ve heard it’s there’s so much to do. And both teams are really good teams. They’re both in the playoffs. They’re they’re both expected to win. So it’s a lot of really good positives pointing towards Colorado, and that’s ultimately why I chose it.”
It has been a hectic couple of weeks for the 24-year-old. On April 9th, Hughes took the Wolverines to the Frozen Four semi-finals against the University of Denver. There he would score one goal en route to a double-overtime loss to the Pioneers. The following day, Hughes became a runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award. Two days later, he signed his first professional contract with Colorado.
Within three days, Hughes reported to the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, to begin a new chapter in his hockey career.
“We were so confident all year, and we worked so hard to get that point,” said Hughes of the loss to DU. ” And I thought we played a great game. I thought everyone was going and we gave ourselves a chance to win, and we get to the Frozen Four. Everyone’s good, and it comes down to bounces, and that’s what kind of happened. It was devastating. It was probably one of the worst losses I’ve taken as a player, just because I thought we deserved it and we played so well as a team. But yeah, it was. It was a horrible loss.”
His first professional weekend with the Eagles proved a trial by fire for the rookie. He saw a significant amount of playing time, including time on the power play. He overcame his initial nerves within a couple of shifts, but his performance truly stood out during game two against the Calgary Wranglers, an affiliate of the Flames. The Eagles’ playoff seeding was finalized, so the veterans rested that night. Hughes and his former Michigan teammate Gavin Brindley, who skated on the same line, quickly connected. Just 14 seconds into the second period, Brindley sped ahead for a shot that bounced off the pads and right to Hughes for his first professional goal. It took only five periods for him to score a goal in the AHL. Hughes had an assist on Jacob MacDonald’s power-play goal for his first point the period before that.
TJ HUGHES FIRST PRO GOAL! OUR MICHIGAN BOYS ARE MAKIN’ SOME NOISE TONIGHT pic.twitter.com/aGVxorPekx
— x-Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) April 19, 2026
What to expect from Hughes
Hughes will provide the Avalanche with a high-value prospect. He has quick hands, quick feet, and a very high hockey IQ. He has amazing vision on the ice to see players around him and set teammates up for scoring chances. Hughes could make the jump from the AHL to the NHL after possibly half the season next year. Either way, Avalanche fans should be excited to have such a highly touted prospect in the system and should look forward to him playing in Denver soon.
T.J. Hughes full interview April 17, 2026
T.J. Hughes already stepping up after signing with Avalanche Mile High Sports.
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