Jun 11, 2024 | Webmaster | 363 views
Montreal Canadiens sign LJK Alum - Connor Hughes
Congratulations Connor!
Connor Hughes is a true testament to believing in yourself and working hard, that dreams can still be made regardless of the hurdles you face. Connor exemplifies that you sometimes you get knocked down you get back up and work even harder.
Connor never made the LJK until his under 15 year at AA. He followed that up at under 16 and played on our second or tiered under 16 AAA Green team. He was the only player drafted from that team in the 11th round by the OHL Knights. Even with that he did not make our AAA under 18 team and instead played in Huron Perth. From there his hockey journey took him from the London Nationals, St. Marys Lincolns, Campbellton NB, Trenton Golden Hawks, and Carleton Place and back again to the Nationals. In between his rights were traded from London to Ottawa of the OHL. These journeys were not easy, promises were made and broken on a regular basis, and at one point he found himself living in a lighthouse.
With a Swiss background he began his journey in Europe playing as back up in the lowest league that had less than 200 fans a game. His hard work soon had him moving on to Division One hockey and again as a backup. With the number one goalie injured he was given the starting role until a replacement was found, that never came to fruition as he became the starter. He has been in Switzerland honing his skills and with this announcement has joined Nick Suzuki as the second LJK player in the Montreal Canadians organization.
Connor is a great example of never giving up and not letting others decide whether or not you are good enough, his advice to our under 16 kids is that the draft means little and focus on becoming the best player you can be. Don’t let others define you.
We are very proud of Connor and his accomplishments so far, and he has been a great example to the players within the LJK. This is just another step for Connor, his staircase maybe a little longer than most but his is only a step away from joining Nick.