USA adds projected No. 1 pick Jack Hughes to World Championship roster
Jack Hughes will get one more chance to showcase his talents prior to the 2019 NHL Draft, as the projected No. 1 overall pick was added to the United States' World Championship roster for the upcoming tournament in Slovakia, the program announced Wednesday.
At 17 years old, Hughes will be the youngest American player in the history of the tournament, according to NHL.com. He'll turn 18 on May 14.
Hughes has been considered the top prospect in the 2019 draft for years. This season, he lived up to the hype while playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program, posting 112 points in 50 games.
The dynamic center has already represented the stars and stripes numerous times during his junior career. He recently broke Alex Ovechkin's scoring record at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship with 32 points in 14 games over a two-year span.
Hughes will now join a loaded USA roster for the World Championship that features the likes of Patrick Kane, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, and his brother Quinn, who was selected seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in 2018.
The U.S. will begin its tournament on May 10 against the host Slovaks.