Luke Hughes’ Skating Stats: 23.37 mph in 2025–26, 21.37 mph to Start 2026–27
Luke Hughes’ NHL EDGE skating stats: 2025–26 top speed, speed bursts and distance, compared with his 2026–27 figures as of November 3, 2026.
Luke Hughes reached 23.37 mph (about 37.6 km/h) in 2025–26, with 117 speed bursts above 20 mph and seven above 22 mph. All three measures placed the New Jersey Devils defenseman in the 97th percentile among defensemen, according to the NHL’s 2026–27 Devils EDGE outlook.
For the season underway, his NHL EDGE dashboard showed a 21.37 mph maximum and 24 bursts over 20 mph across 14 games when checked on November 3, 2026. These are different season samples—not conflicting measurements of the same period.
Which “2026” skating stats do you mean?
The completed 2025–26 season and the ongoing 2026–27 regular season both overlap calendar year 2026. Neither set below is a January–December calendar-year total.
| Skating metric | 2025–26 season | Percentile among defensemen | 2026–27 regular season, checked Nov. 3 | Percentile among defensemen |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum skating speed | 23.37 mph | 97th | 21.37 mph | 64th |
| Speed bursts over 20 mph | 117 | 97th | 24 | 96th |
Sources: NHL Devils season outlook for 2025–26; Luke Hughes’ EDGE dashboard for the 14-game 2026–27 snapshot.
The current-season maximum occurred against Washington on October 17, 2026, in the first period at the dashboard’s listed time of 02:27. The same dashboard listed the defenseman average maximum at 21.09 mph and average bursts over 20 mph at 7.3. Hughes was therefore much higher in the burst-count distribution than in the maximum-speed distribution at this checkpoint. These dashboard comparisons change as the season progresses.
What the speed numbers measure
NHL EDGE defines maximum skating speed as the highest sustained skating speed a player achieves. It is a peak measure, not his average speed throughout a game and not a measure of how quickly he accelerates. A lower maximum after 14 games does not, by itself, establish that Hughes has become a slower skater. (NHL EDGE glossary)
A speed burst is a sustained skating episode, not every individual tracking reading above a threshold. Under the NHL’s definition, a burst begins once a player sustains more than 18 mph and continues until his speed falls below 16 mph. Its assigned speed is the maximum reached during that window. Thus, Hughes’ 117 bursts over 20 mph describe repeated high-speed episodes; his seven over 22 mph identify the faster subset. These are counts, not ice-time-adjusted rates, so playing time also matters when comparing totals. (NHL EDGE glossary)
These figures come from the league’s puck-and-player tracking system, which uses infrared cameras and sensors in players’ jerseys—not a timed skating-combine sprint. (NHL tracking-system release)
Skating distance: workload rather than peak speed
For 2025–26, the NHL outlook also reported:
- 203.66 miles at even strength: 83rd percentile among defensemen.
- 21.02 miles on the power play: 86th percentile.
- 9.00 miles per 60 minutes at all strengths: 96th percentile.
- 4.45 miles in his highest-distance game: 94th percentile.
The 9.00-mile figure is normalized to 60 minutes of Hughes’ own ice time, not 60 minutes of team game time. For illustration, that rate corresponds to 3.00 miles over 20 minutes of ice time; it does not mean he skated nine miles each game. (NHL EDGE glossary)
Together, the completed-season numbers show high-end peak speed, repeated fast bursts and a high distance rate relative to other defensemen. They do not supply an acceleration time or a complete rating of his skating technique. For broader context, see how fast NHL players actually skate.