Quinn Hughes, now with the Minnesota Wild, will return to Vancouver on Sunday for the first time since being traded from the Canucks.
The Story
Quinn Hughes says he is looking forward to returning to Vancouver but is unsure how he will be received when the Minnesota Wild play at Rogers Arena on Sunday.
Speaking Saturday before the Wild played the Seattle Kraken, the former Vancouver Canucks captain said he doesn’t “know what to expect” for his first trip back and that any reaction from the crowd “won’t change how I feel about that place and how grateful I am for the experiences I’ve had there.”
Hughes was acquired by Minnesota via trade on Dec. 12, 2025, ending his time with the Canucks. He will make his first visit to his former home since the trade.
The 27-year-old is in the final season of a six-year, $47.1 million contract ($7.85 million average annual value) he signed with Vancouver on Oct. 1, 2021. Hughes has been eligible to sign a new contract with the Wild since July 1, and he said he is enjoying his current situation while taking his time, adding, “But I wouldn’t be surprised if something happens soon.”
Selected by Vancouver with the No. 7 pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, Hughes recorded 432 points (61 goals, 371 assists) in 459 games for the Canucks from his debut on March 28, 2019, through his last game with the club on Dec. 11, 2025. He also remains the organization’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen.
Hughes won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2023-24, when he led the league at his position and set a career high with 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists) in 82 games. He served as Canucks captain from Sept. 11, 2023, until he was traded.
In reflecting on his time in Vancouver, Hughes said he was “really lucky to start” his career there and described the opportunity in a Canadian market as “really special.” He credited the organization, including ownership and senior adviser Jim Rutherford, former general manager Jim Benning, coaches and teammates, for helping him “flourish and grow.”
Hughes also compared playing for the Canucks to playing for the New York Yankees, saying Vancouver’s sports landscape is different from larger U.S. cities because “it’s just the Canucks.” He said that creates a sense of attention and atmosphere on game nights in the city.
Asked how he wanted to be remembered in Vancouver, Hughes said at that stage “a little bit of that’s out of my control,” adding that he plays for the Wild now and that how he is remembered will be tied to how he “gave it my all” in a Canucks uniform.
This season with Minnesota, Hughes has 66 points (seven goals, 59 assists) in 59 games, including 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 11 games so far.
Hughes said he is enjoying his role with the Wild and described the combination of forwards Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov as “probably the most fun hockey I’ve ever played,” with his coach, John Hynes, and associate Jack Capuano “load[ing]” him up with that group.
In the run-up to Sunday’s game, Hughes also pointed to what he saw after teammate Brady Tkachuk returned to Ottawa with the Florida Panthers. Hughes said the fans booed and chanted during that game, and he commented that while Tkachuk’s situation unfolded in a way fans saw, he believes his longtime friend tried to “give it his all,” handle the moment “with class,” and represent the Senators competitively every time he stepped on the ice.
Canucks forward Brock Boeser said he hopes Hughes doesn’t receive a similar reception in Vancouver, adding that Hughes “gave it his all” every time he played for the team and that Boeser believes there should be “a good tribute” for him.
← More stories