Hughes Brothers Imagines

Stanley Cup Finals

We're going into the future in case you're questioning the years in this haha

Maria was smiling as she and her husband of twenty years, Nico, sat in the stands of Prudential Center watching their oldest son, Zachary, who just turned 23, play in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. The couple had both just turned 42 and 43, Nico being the older one. Nico retired from the NHL four years ago at age 39, just one year after playing with his son.

Zach went first overall as an 18 year old to the Devils after their horrible 2037 season. It's now 2042, and the Devils are favoured to win the cup. Nico had one three cups in his 21 seasons with the Devils, never once being traded. Now they sat in their first bowl seats, Maria's head on Nico's shoulder as they watch their eldest son warm up with the team they've known to love. Nico had gotten an opportunity to become to head coach, but he turned it down. So they asked Jack, who took up the opportunity. Luke is playing his last season with the Devils as he's now 39, but he's had a blast having his older brother coach him.

Luke was named captain after Nico retired, Zachary being an alternate. Nico told Luke that as long as he was on the Devils, he needed to take care of his son. And he has. For all these years, Luke's mentored him and made him into the player he is now.

"Come on, Zachary!" Jack yelled loudly from the bench. Nico rolled his eyes at his former teammate yelling at his son.

"That has to be the loudest Hughes, right?" Nico joked. Maria laughed and shook her head.

"You'd think so. But it has to be Alexis. Have you never seen her after a few shots of vodka?" The couple laughed before returning their attention to the ice.

All the players were starting to get off as the warm up clocked counted down. When Zach got off, he tapped his stick right by where his father was sitting. Nico bumped his fist against the glass at the same time the blade of the stick hit the panel of plexiglass. It's a tradition they started once Nico retired so that Zach would know his father was still somewhere on the ice with him at all times, encouraging him to pass and shoot that damn puck into the back of the netting.

Maria smiled up at her husband, leaning back on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her jersey-covered shoulders. She was wearing a now vintage Hischier jersey from 2024 now that they've since changed their jersey a bit. They're now repping the same logo, but they're black as the background colour and they have a maroon red logo in the middle, the logo was also changed a bit. The logo is now Devil horns with small flames underneath them to represent the Devil himself.

"Red looks good on you, Liebe." Nico mumbled into Maria's hair. She blushed and hid her face in her husband's shoulder.

Twenty minutes later, the players of both teams emerged. Every fan in that stadium's heart was pounding as they prayed for their team to win the cup. The players all skated up to the center face off circle, the two centers holding dirty looks on their faces. Once the puck dropped, all hell broke loose.

Third period, one minute left

Nico was on his feet with the rest of the Devils fans in the arena. It was 5-2 for New Jersey, Vegas with the empty net. Maria was still sat, but on the edge of her seat and sobbing. Not sad tears, but happy tears. Her son is about to win the Stanley Cup, just like his father once did.

When the final buzzer went, the woman stood up and cheered while sobbing. She and her husband hugged each other tightly while the team threw all their gear on the ice, jumping onto one another. The staff got any family in the stands and brought them down to where the Zamboni doors are to get onto the ice. Once they stepped on, the team was beginning to pass around the cup.

Luke went around first, of course, saying he's the captain. He then passed it off to Zachary, tapping his head with a proud smile before skating over to his older brother and tackling him in a hug. Maria and Nico were beside Jack, so Luke hugged them too. The girl always thought of him as a little brother since he first started with the Devils years ago, almost twenty now. So she kissed his head slightly before letting him go. Nico slapped his back and hugged him in a bro hug.

Zach finished his skate, passing off the cup. Once it was passed off, the young man skated over to his parents with a smile. He wrapped Maria in a tight hug first.

"You played so well, Schatz." Maria mumbled into her son's padded shoulder.

"Thank you for coming, ma." Zachary smiled, hugging his mother even tighter. "I couldn't have done it without you." The woman felt tears prick her eyes as she let go of her son.

He then looked over to his father. The two grinned widely, bro hugging. Zach pulled away and had happy tears in his eyes. It brought Maria back fifteen or so years to Nico's first cup. He had the exact look that Zach now held. That look of "I made it" that rested on his face. Zach was a spitting image of Nico in 2024. Same hair, light stubble..only difference is he's 6'4 while Nico's 6'1. 

"I'm proud of you, kid." Nico smiled, holding his son's face as he held back tears.

"Thanks, pa. You're the one who taught me what I know." Luke cleared his throat, causing everyone to laugh. "And Uncle Luke." Zachary chuckled at his 6'2 uncle.

They chatted for a bit before Zachary had to go and get into the team photo. He and Jack's kid, Nolan, shared a look before they both skated up and slid into the picture, landing perfectly in front while hugging tightly with smiles. They'd been best friends since they were born, being almost exactly a month apart. Saying both of their dad's played on the same team their whole life, they grew up on the same teams they're whole life and are basically brothers.

"He did it, Nic." Maria smiled, leaning back into her husbands chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "Our baby's a Stanley Cup Champion." 

Nico played with her long hair, twirling it around his finger. "Of course he did. His mom played in the PWHL and his dad won a bunch of Cups." The girl rolled her eyes. "Only kidding, my love." He grinned, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

Zach glanced at his parents after the picture and smiled brightly. He knew that no matter what, he'd have two parents that would be by his side through it all. Next step was to tell them that he and Nolan are a bit..closer than they think they are.

***

I'm not making a part two since the two kids probably won't show up again unless its like one or two more.

I thought it was a cute way to kick off Nico in this book haha

WC: 1221