HERNING, Denmark — There are surely easier ways for an 18-year-old to test his skills against NHL competition. Maybe a preseason game against a split squad in September. Or training camp hockey against teammates.



Quinn Hughes didn’t have that luxury.



His first real action against NHL competition came against Hockey Canada. An international powerhouse. In the World Championship. Against Connor McDavid and Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle and offensive standouts who can turn you around in a heartbeat.



Hughes, a University of Michigan defenseman, is the youngest player on Team USA’s roster, a player expected to go in the top five in the upcoming draft. He also got thrown directly into the fire.



At one point against Canada, he said he got caught on the American bench admiring a play by McDavid on the ice in front of him, to which a teammate suggested that it was OK to respect McDavid but not OK to respect him too much.



“It...