A steady defenseman with offensive instincts, Hughes joined the CPHL's Minneapolis Bruins in 1964 and was soon after claimed by Detroit from Boston in the 1965 reverse draft. After a year in Minneapolis, Hughes joined the CPHL's Memphis Wings and spent the better part of two years with the club before joining the AHL's Pittsburgh Hornets during the 1966-67 season.

In the summer of 1967, the Los Angeles Kings claimed Hughes in the expansion draft and he went on to play parts of three seasons with the team while seeing some action with the team's AHL affiliate in Springfield. Following a three year stint with Los Angeles, Hughes was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in the spring of 1970. Over the course of the next three seasons, Hughes spent time with the Flyers and the AHL's Quebec Aces and Baltimore Clippers before moving on to his third NHL team, the St. Louis Blues in the early stages of the 1972-73 season.

Hughes went on to play only ten games with the Blues before being traded to the Detroit Red Wings during the 1973-74 season. In 1974, the Kansas City Scouts claimed Hughes in the expansion draft and one year later the Bowmanville, Ontario native joined the WHA.

Originaly drafted by the New York Raiders in the 1972 WHA general player draft, Hughes made his WHA debut with the San Diego Mariners in 1975 after the New York-New Jersey franchise relocated in 1974. Hughes went on to play two seasons with San Diego before signing as a free agent with the Birmingham Bulls in the summer of 1977, after the San Diego franchise folded.

After parts of two seasons with the Bulls, Hughes joined the AHL's Birmingham Dusters during the 1978-79 season before playing one last year in 1979-80 with CHL's Cincinnati Stingers.

Throughout his career, Brent Hughes played 435 NHL games, scoring 15 goals and adding 117 assists for 132 points.

Courtesy of the Hockey Hall of Fame