Breaking: Hobey Baker Favorite TJ Hughes Selects His NHL Destination

College hockey's top free agent, TJ Hughes, has finally decided on his NHL destination. With several teams vying for the right to sign Michigan's Hobey Baker favorite, the Colorado Avalanche have won the sweepstakes for Hughes.

The #GoAvsGo signed NCAA F TJ Hughes to a 1 year ELC

$952.5K Cap Hit
$1.025M AAV

$850K NHL
$102.5K Signing Bonus
$72.5K GP Bonus
$85K Min

Starts in 26/27

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It's a one-year entry-level contract for the 24-year-old forward, and it will take effect next season. With the Avalanche already having a Stanley Cup-ready team and the best record in hockey, there was no need (or desire) for them to force Hughes into the lineup with the playoffs upcoming.

Instead, he'll join the Avs' AHL club, the Colorado Eagles, on an AHL Professional Tryout agreement for the remainder of the current season.

His NHL deal for 2026-27 carries a $952,000 cap hit with a $1.025M total value. He gets a $102,500 signing bonus and a games-played bonus as well.

The 6-foot, 185-pound center/wing made his decision less than 48 hours after a crushing double-overtime loss in the Frozen Four semifinal.

Hughes is a skilled, two-way player, and a playmaking center with excellent vision. Given his advanced age, coming out of college as a senior, he is viewed as ready to step right into an NHL lineup. That will happen for the Avalanche to begin next season.

Hughes finished his college career as a Top-3 Finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as college hockey's top player, after potting 22 goals and 35 assists for 57 points in 40 games this past regular season, second in the nation in scoring. He was a +14. Across his 156 games at Michigan over four years, he compiled 179 points while leading the Wolverines to the Frozen Four in three of his four campaigns there.