The Washington Capitals couldn’t avoid the WHL for too long, making Bear Hughes of the Spokane Chiefs their third selection of the 2020 NHL Draft.
The Caps took the Idaho native, who walked-on and played his first full season in the WHL last year, with the 117th overall pick.
With the 148th pick in the 2020 #NHLDraft the Washington Capitals are proud to select Bear Hughes! #CapsDraft | @GEICO pic.twitter.com/HLSKQR3fia
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 7, 2020
Hughes is a 6-foot, 171-pound center that was ranked 150th by NHL Central Scouting among North American skaters. NHLCB’s John Williams says that Bear showed “lots of improvement this year” and that he is a “skilled guy that can skate and kill penalties.”
Four and a half hours after today's portion of NHL Draft started, the #Caps finally make their 2nd pick, taking RW Bogdan Trineyev at No. 117 in 4th round. Red Line Report projects him as "crease crashing third line power winger," and says his style compares to James vanRiemsdyk.
— Mike Vogel (@VogsCaps) October 7, 2020
The Spokane Chiefs awarded Hughes their 2019-20 Rookie of the Year award. In 61 games with them in the WHL last season, he scored 16 goals and grabbed 47 total points. NHL Network noted that he is one of nine siblings (but not one of those Hughes brothers) and that his given name is ‘Cassius’.
Congratulations to @spokanechiefs forward Bear Hughes, selected 148th overall by the @Capitals! #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/CuL6XJ5ZTb
— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 7, 2020
Highlights
Screenshot courtesy of the WHL
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