Hughes wants to be the No. 1 pick at draft

Speaking at the league’s scouting combine Friday in Buffalo, top-ranked North American skater Jack Hughes said it would be a dream come true to hear his name called first at the NHL draft on June 21 in Vancouver. “You always dream of being No. 1,” Hughes said. “You don’t dream of being two, three or four when you’re a young kid. I want to be the first overall pick.” Born in Orlando, Fla., but raised in the Toronto area, Hughes scored 112 points in 50 games with the under-18 U.S. National Team Development Program this season. Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko, the top-ranked European skater who is viewed as the main competition for Hughes at No. 1, isn’t at the combine after helping his country win the world hockey championship recently in Slovakia. The New Jersey Devils own the top selection at the draft, while the New York Rangers will pick second.