For someone who had only played four Calder Cup Playoff games before 2023, Cameron Hughes brings a ton of postseason experience into his first run with the Texas Stars.
The seventh-year pro went to the Calder Cup Finals in each of the past two years with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, playing a total of 44 playoff games. He finished fourth in the league in playoff scoring in 2023 with 23 points (four goals, 19 assists), and last year he duplicated that finish producing 16 assists in 18 games.
As steady as any player in the AHL, Hughes has produced 56 points (in 61 games), 57 points (in 69 games) and 57 points (in 69 games) in the last three regular seasons.
Hughes and the Stars begin their Central Division semifinal series tonight in Grand Rapids. Get through that series, and it would mean facing either the Milwaukee Admirals or Rockford IceHogs in the following round.
“Through every year, you learn stuff,” Hughes told reporters last week. “Playoffs, everything is magnified, so you definitely learn more.”
With Hughes, Kole Lind, captain Curtis McKenzie, Kyle Capobianco and Magnus Hellberg, Texas possesses significant experience. When the Stars went through a late-season five-game losing streak, they managed to right themselves and put together a strong finish to their regular season with wins in three of their final four outings. Having not played since April 19, they have been able to use this time to refresh themselves and prepare.
“I think everybody cares about each other,” Hughes said. “We hold each other pretty accountable. Guys get on each other, they pick each other up, but I think that’s what you need on a team that wants to go far, and hopefully we can keep it going.”
― with files from Patrick Williams
