Hughes comes from an ice hockey-playing family as his father, Jim Hughes, is a former player and team captain for Providence College, an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins, and director of player development for the Toronto Maple Leafs. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer at the University of New Hampshire and, in 2012, was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame. She also played for the United States women's national ice hockey team, and won a silver medal at the 1992 World Championship.