Having siblings play in the same leagues always gains a lot of attraction, but the hockey Hughes brothers have seemed to capture most of the attention from young adult hockey fans, including myself. But what about them is so interesting? Something I like to call the “Boy Band Effect.”
Boy Bands get their popularity by playing into different archetypes that teenage girls can obsess over. Think of One Direction, NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, BTS and of course the Jonas Brothers. These groups are marketed to appeal to every teenage girl, with people often choosing a bias and supporting one specific member they connect to the most.
Boy Bands have a presence in popular culture by having concerts, interviews and constant fan interactions. This allows fans to get to know the members on a “deeper level” (the reason I put deeper level in quotations is due to the para-social nature of celebrity-fan relationships) and get people more invested in their bias and in the group as a whole.
With the presence of social media and the emphasis on social media marketing for all types of companies and people, this Boy Band Effect has been extended onto athletes too, causing Hughes Brothers to become the Jonas Brothers of the National Hockey League (NHL) world.
Who are these Hockey Brothers?
Growing up, the Hughes brothers all had one goal: play hockey professionally. Little did they know they would make history. For hockey fans, the obsession with the Hughes brothers comes from all 3 brothers being top picks in their draft years.
Quinn Hughes, the oldest, was the 2018 seventh overall draft pick for the Vancouver Canucks and has been the Canucks captain since the 2023-2024 season. He plays as a defenseman and has become one of the best defensive players. He recently won the Norris trophy (a trophy for the best defenseman of the year) in 2024. Last season, he lead defenseman in points with 92 (17 goals, 75 assists) and has just been named to the USA 2026 Olympic team.
Jack Hughes, the middle child, was the 2019 first overall draft pick for the New Jersey Devils and he brings significant talent to the team. He plays as a center. In the 2022-2023 season, he became the first player to score 40 goals in one season since the 2008-2009 season (14 years). Jack has also been named to the USA 2026 Olympic team.
Luke Hughes, the youngest, was the 2021 fourth overall draft pick for the New Jersey Devils (Jack’s team), making history by having three brothers being drafted within the first 10 overall picks of their respective draft years. In his debut season, he was a finalist for the 2024 Calder Trophy (a trophy for the best rookie of the year). He plays as a defenseman.
For all of our non-hockey loving readers, if you are interested in learning more about hockey/the impact of the Hughes brothers on the sport, I would recommend these articles: 1. About the Hughes brothers 2. Hockey 101
So why are the Hughes Brothers so popular with causal/ non-hockey watchers?
A huge aspect of their popularity is their talent. The NHL’s and the individual team’s marketing campaigns originally included the brothers in a lot of content because of the success the brothers promised. As the brothers were stars in more and more TikTok videos and Instagram Reels, people beyond fans of the NHL started to interacted with videos starring the Hughes brothers.
Thus began the obsession with the NHL’s version of the Jonas Brothers.
Coincidentally, the Hughes brothers mirror the archetypes of the Jones Brothers.
The Nick Jonas: Jack Hughes
The main reason Jack Hughes is the “Nick Jonas” of the group is because they both are thought of to be the most conventionally attractive of their respective trios. When people think of the Jonas Brothers, Nick Jonas is the first to come to mind; Nick is the face of group.
He even has a successful career as a solo artist, with songs like “Jealous” and although all of the brothers were in the Disney Channel movies “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2”, Nick Jonas starred in the movies, being the love interest.
This mirrors Jack Hughes almost identically. He was the first one to get more popular on TikTok, due to the edits created to showcase his conventional attractiveness and the hilariously high number of times he trips on air during games. He by far has the most about of edits made for him and has the most Instagram followers out of his brothers.
Here is a Youtube Playlist of Jack Hughes edits (you are welcome) and a TikTok playlist of him falling.
Although he does not have as many opportunities to showcase his solo skills as Nick Jonas (mainly because hockey is a team sport and his brothers are just as good as him), he has the charisma of Nick Jonas that helps him stand out when next to his brothers. He’s the “life of the party”, people are naturally drawn him.
If you are typically a fan of the Nick Jonas’, Harry Styles’, or Justin Timberlake’s of a boy band (or if you just wanna see some edits of a potential “White Boy of the Month”), I suggest making your new obsession Jack Hughes.
The Joe JOnas: Quinn Hughes
Quinn Hughes and Joe Jonas are not quite as a perfect match as Jack and Nick are, but overall their vibes and what they bring to the trio are similar.
Joe Jonas is known to have a good sense of humor and his authenticity. While it might not be intentional, many people find Quinn Hughes hilarious because of his “meme-able” face.
People have latched onto how authentic Quinn Hughes feels because he always seems to be crashing out during games. People feel seen, as Quinn Hughes has a full time job playing the sport he loves, yet is in constant turmoil no matter what the score is. Life and work can be overwhelming, even if you have the job you’ve always dreamed of.
Another key similarity is when people started finding them attractive. Both Joe Jonas’ and Quinn Hughes’ respective brothers are so conventionally attractive, that it kinda distracted people from their own looks. I also like to note that their more humorous public image might have also caused this delay, since Quinn Hughes is especially known for his unphotogenic moments.
I mean, there is a whole Reddit page for people finding out that Joe Jonas is attractive years later. There is no reddit page for Quinn Hughes (yet), but there are countless Youtube and TikTok videos of him. If you look in the comments, you will find people saying how there isn’t enough acknowledgement for how attractive he is.
If you typically are drawn to personality and relatability, you might want to look up compilations of Quinn Hughes’ crash outs or funny moments.
And you would have good taste, as Quinn Hughes is my personal favorite of the brothers. You will ALWAYS catch me laughing about a new meme worthy photo of him during games.
The Kevin Jonas: Luke Hughes
I saved the Kevin Jonas comparison until the end to symbolise how people are always forgetting about him. That is the main reason Kevin Jonas and Luke Hughes are so similar: they are overshadowed by their brothers. They are both more introverted, dependable and level headed.
Even though Kevin Jonas and Luke Hughes are not always in the spotlight, people began to make them their favorite because they are like the underdog.
Since Luke Hughes doesn’t have as many interviews or opportunities to showcase his personality, his answers feel kinda scripted or like he was caught off guard. That’s because usually, he was.
In this interview here, Luke Hughes even asks why everyone was looking at him because he assumed either Quinn or Jack was going to answer the question.
However, when Luke Hughes does get a chance to have the spotlight, he flourishes.
Being the youngest, Luke Hughes has been compared to his brothers his whole life, but this one ad shows his true calling: acting. Even though he sounds scripted when caught off guard, he is a natural when the focus is all on him.
More people became fans of Luke Hughes after this ad was able to differentiate him from this brothers: He has a natural acting gift, something his brothers do not have.
If you are loyal to the people you favorite and love defending your choice to no end, Luke Hughes is the perfect next obsession for you.
Although, all the brothers are gaining popularity quickly, so you might have to switch to the “I was an OG (original)” narrative very soon.
You don’t need to be a hockey fan to love the Hughes
The Hughes brothers bring so much talent and joy to the game. Their talent is astounding to watch on ice, but their fails, interviews, collabs and edits are bringing the laughter needed in such a violent sport.
I will always recommend people to start watching the thrilling sport of hockey, but now you have an incentive: watching your new obsession score goals, create plays and beat records, all while looking good during it.
(And, a bonus is the edits made afterwards!)