"I love jig-saw puzzles," joked Hughes, a senior defenseman on the men's hockey team. "I've been working on the same one for eight years now."

Well, maybe not those pieces, but the interlocking components that shape one's life. In Hughes' case, the edges took form with the close relationship he had with his parents - especially a unique bond with his father, Owen Hughes, Sr., with whom he shared a love for hockey.

"Ever since I was a child, he was there for me," Hughes said of his father. "He coached me throughout my childhood, my adolescent years and throughout high school. It was great. Having my father as a coach was clearly one of the best experiences in my life."

And by the time Hughes had won the last of his six varsity letters at Milton Academy, his father's influence had produced positive results.

"He has learned a lot about hockey from his father," Dartmouth head coach Roger Demment said. "His father's a coach who has been around at different levels for a long time and knows the game well. That's very attractive for a college coach to recruit a player with that kind of knowledge and experience that runs in the family."

It has been pointed out to Hughes that on the ice, he closely resembles his father, a standout player who was part of a national championship team during his years at Boston College

"At 5-10 and 160 pounds, my father was a strapping lad - similar to me," Hughes said. "I heard stories that we are very similar in style. He was very offensive and smart with the puck."

Big Green teammate Alex Dumas, who also played two years at Milton with Hughes and his father, has seen Hughes' growth as both a player and a person.

"At the rink, their relationship was strictly business, although it was clear that away from the rink, they had a great father-son relationship," Dumas said. "If I was a coach, he is exactly the guy I would like to have on my team. I have definitely been very fortunate to have Owen as a teammate over the past six years, but more importantly, I have been fortunate to have Owen as a friend over the past six years."

On the ice, Hughes has also been able to find his niche. After being juggled around between forward and defense during his first couple of years at Dartmouth, Hughes has found a perfect fit with his role of being an offensive defenseman the past two seasons. A 1995-96 All-Ivy defensive selection, Hughes has a goal and seven assists so far this season.

"Owen is very creative with the puck, especially in the offensive end of the ice," Demment said. "He does a tremendous job finding openings and making things happen for us. He has a very good shot, but he is also very good in drawing people toward him and dishing the puck to the open man."

As his time at Dartmouth is winding down, Hughes has been able to see his big picture more clearly. He is not clouded by the dream of a professional hockey career. Instead, he uses his hockey experiences to put his future in perspective.

"I'll be hanging 'em up after this season," Hughes said. "I have an interest in business and will probably go into investing or something of that nature. I can find the same type of ingredients that make hickey such a great sport in business - a competitive nature, a team member and team camaraderie."

But what about that final piece? Will a tradition of Owen Hughes coaching Owen Hughes transcend into a third generation?

"After playing hockey for 20 years, there's no way I will just drop it," Hughes said. "Maybe I will be like my father someday and coach my son. But in the meantime, there's always a frozen pond or a beer league somewhere."