Oct 30, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86) waits for play to resume in the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
By Matt Yoder on

Freak injuries in sports that happen away from the field of play can produce some of the weirdest and most surreal headlines, but it’s going to be a long time before we see something as surreal as Devils star Jack Hughes missing game action after having dinner with Barstool’s Frank the Tank.

Frank “The Tank” Fleming has become one of the most popular figures at Barstool Sports as a long-suffering New York sports fan with a huge personality whose passion for the New Jersey Devils is unmatched. He’s also been on an inspirational weight loss journey that has received support from figures all across the sports world.

Frank the Tank has become such an iconic figure that another Barstool personality, Mikey Bets, posted a photo on Friday from a birthday team dinner with the New Jersey Devils themselves.

But as Barstool says in a headline, the “Fleming Curse” struck when three-time NHL All-Star Jack Hughes was injured at the dinner, apparently slipping and cutting his hand in what is being called a “fluke accident.”

According to Barstool’s report, Frank the Tank was not in attendance at the time that Jack Hughes somehow managed to cut his hand while enjoying a steak dinner. But the transitive property states that there has to be some kind of impact from the pair enjoying a meal together.

At the very least, Jack Hughes being injured at a dinner with Frank the Tank can go down in history alongside Scottie Scheffler being injured making ravioli and Marty Cordova falling asleep in a tanning bed.

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