Michael Jordan. Derek Jeter. Sidney Crosby. Patrick Kane.

The list of world-class athletes tied to Gatorade is long and breathtaking. Now Devils rookie Jack Hughes can add his name to the club.

Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Devils, signed an endorsement deal with Gatorade, as first reported on NJ.com’s Devils Insider, making him the first Devil to ever have a sponsorship with the company.

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“You see the list of athletes that are part of the Gatorade family, this is the premier brand in the business,” Hughes told NJ Advance Media. “To be a part of it is really special. It’s something I definitely I wasn’t going to pass up on. I’ve been drinking Gatorade my whole life. It’s been a big part of me growing up playing hockey, so to be a part of the Gatorade family now is pretty special."

Two other recent former NHL No. 1 picks represented Gatorade while Hughes was growing up, and they were two players Hughes looked up to. One was Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the other was Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.

A lot of Hughes’ game is modeled off Kane, but when it comes to Gatorade, Crosby was the one Hughes always associated with the drink.

“Crosby’s kind of been the face of Gatorade hockey for a lot of years," Hughes said. "So I mean growing up, it was always, ‘Crosby’s drinking Gatorade, I should too.’”

Along with doing the usual ad work while representing Gatorade, Hughes will also benefit from Gatorade’s sports scientists, who can aid him with fueling and recovering during NHL seasons. When Hughes first joined Gatorade, he sat with scientists from Gatorade’s lab to learn more about how their products can aid his growth as an athlete.

And even though Hughes is still just 18 years old, his deal with Gatorade follows the company’s track record of teaming up with young talent.

“We think he has tons of potential to do some pretty special things, but again it’s not unlike some of the partnerships we have, like a Mallory Pugh, Christian Pulisic, a Jayson Tatum, a Zion Williamson, Todd Gurley, Bryce Harper,” said Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s head of global marketing. “All of whom we signed very early in their careers because we want to grow with them.

“As the presumptive No. 1 pick for more than a year, it was hard to miss him. We take pride in identifying young talent, especially people who believe in what we’re doing as a brand, and he’s a terrific addition to our roster that includes some other No. 1 draft picks, some iconic athletes, some MVPs, and we think he’s going to be a great addition.”

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Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.