NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes left Thursday night's game against Nashville in the first period because of injury and did not return.
Coach Sheldon Keefe said it was a lower-body injury and that Hughes would be re-evaluated Friday, but that he did not believe it was serious. The Devils rallied to beat the Predators 3-2 in overtime.
Hughes skated just three shifts. He took one shift and went to the locker room before returning for another and then heading down the tunnel again followed by a trainer — all in the first 7:30 of the game. He logged 2 minutes, 27 seconds of ice time.
The 24-year-old missed five weeks earlier this season after injuring his right thumb at a team dinner and undergoing surgery Nov. 15 on it. Hughes had 14 points in his first 16 games back, including a pair of assists Tuesday night in a 4-3 home loss to Winnipeg.
Hughes' latest absence comes two weeks before the U.S. is set to play its first game at the Milan Cortina Olympics. USA Hockey has already made one change to its 25-player roster, with Jackson LaCombe replacing injured defenseman Seth Jones.
Hughes, along with brother Quinn, is a first-time Olympian. The U.S. has two sets of brothers, with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk also on the team.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
New Jersey Devils' Jack Hughes (86) skates with the puck as Vancouver Canucks' Drew O'Connor (18) watches during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, British Columbia, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)
New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) has his shot knocked away by Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield (5) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Olivia Gadecki and John Peers became the first team to win consecutive Australian Open mixed doubles titles since 1989 after beating the French pair of Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 on Friday.
The Australians trailed 7-5 in the final-set tiebreaker before coming back to lead 9-7. On match point and with Peers serving, Guinard hit a backhand into the net to clinch victory for the home players at Rod Laver Arena.
Wild-card entries Gadecki and Peers were the first reigning Australian Open mixed doubles champions to return to the final the following year since Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor in 2015. The 23-year-old Gadecki was born 13 years after Jim Pugh and Jana Novotna went back to back in 1988 and 1989.
"Olivia, I’m sort of speechless,” Peers said at the trophy presentations. “Thank you for playing with me again, we had great fun this week and somehow snuck away with this one, but it’s been so much fun sharing the court with you.”
The French team won the opening set on its second set point when Peers hit a shot wide, three games after Mladenovic double-faulted on set point and the Australian team broke to keep the set alive.
In the second set, Gadecki and Peers went ahead 3-1 on a service break and then held to take a 4-1 lead, winning 13 of 15 points to put them in control of the set and level the match.
Mladenovic was trying to win her fourth Grand Slam mixed doubles title — she won Wimbledon in 2013 and the Australian Open in 2014 with Nestor and the 2022 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Ivan Dodig. She also has six Grand Slam women's doubles titles.
"Winning a Grand Slam once is very difficult but defending it is even harder ... big congrats to you!” Mladenovic said to Gadecki and Peers.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Australia's Olivia Gadecki and John Peers celebrate after defeating France's Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Australia's Olivia Gadecki, left, and John Peers, second right, are congratulated by France's Kristina Mladenovic, right, and Manuel Guinard, second left, after winning the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
Australia's Olivia Gadecki and John Peers in action against France's Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Australia's Olivia Gadecki and John Peers celebrate after defeating France's Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
