T.J. Hughes was Michigan’s captain this season and a finalist for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award. Jaime Crawford / Getty Images
April 11, 2026Updated 4:36 pm EDT
LAS VEGAS — The Colorado Avalanche have signed top college free agent T.J. Hughes.
Hughes, a finalist for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award, finished second in college hockey in scoring this season, was named Big Ten Player of the Year and registered 57 points in 40 games.
The 24-year-old captained Michigan to the top seed in the country in the regular season, an appearance in the Frozen Four and a Big Ten championship.
A 6-foot, 183-pound center, Hughes had an opportunity to turn pro last spring but decided to return to college hockey for his senior year after the Wolverines missed out on the national tournament.
Hughes will join the Colorado Eagles, one of the AHL’s top teams this season, for their playoff run on a PTO. His one-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche will run through the 2026-27 season.
Wheeler’s take
I really like the fit for Hughes in Colorado. At 24, he needed to pick a landing spot where he was going to have an opportunity to play immediately or close to it. The Avalanche were 28th in my recent NHL prospect pool rankings and have nothing coming down the middle in their system (Gavin Brindley and recently signed college free agent Matthew DiMarsico are both pro wingers). They’ve also got a looming cap crunch and are going to need cheap, NHL-ready players to slot into their lineup next year after Sam Malinski’s new deal kicks in and guys like Jack Drury get a raise this summer. They may also have to move on from Nicolas Roy, which could open up a roster spot. Hughes has the smarts that the Avs and head coach Jared Bednar look for in players, and he will be able to process it at their level. With a good summer, I expect him to make the NHL team next year.
Hughes is a heady offensive player who has worked on his pace and defensive responsibility over four very productive seasons at Michigan. He was beloved by the Wolverines and represents a successful development story for them.
Apr 11, 2026
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