Quinn Hughes met with media in Seattle before the Minnesota Wild’s Sunday matchup against his former Vancouver Canucks.
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Quinn Hughes is scheduled to return to Vancouver on Sunday night when the Minnesota Wild take on his former team, the first time he will face the Canucks since last season’s trade.
Before the game, the Wild were in Seattle playing the Kraken on Saturday night as the first game of a back-to-back, with the Vancouver matchup coming the next evening. Earlier that day, Hughes met with media in Seattle, where the return to Vancouver became the main focus of his availability.
Asked what excites him about going back to Vancouver, Hughes said, “Honestly, I think that I’ve gotten really good over the years just staying, day to day. So obviously, with Seattle today and dropping the game in Calgary, focused on tonight. But as far as Vancouver and tomorrow comes, I’m sure it’ll feel more real, and the emotions will hit for sure.”
Hughes also discussed how he feels about the attention he may receive in Vancouver. He said, “I think that part of the reason I love Vancouver is the passion, and I don’t take anything personal. How I’m received tomorrow won’t affect how I feel about Vancouver tomorrow, the next day, or five years down the line. Like, I just feel gratitude, and one night … won’t affect 6 ½ years of how I enjoyed that place.”
The Minnesota defenceman said he was “really lucky to start” his career in Vancouver and credited his time there for shaping both him and his game. He pointed to the organization and people he worked with, saying the organization was “always amazing with me,” including ownership and Jim Rutherford and Jim Benning, “all the coaches I’ve had there,” and his teammates.
Hughes said he plans to be grateful regardless of how he is received during Sunday night’s game, adding that after six and a half seasons, “a lot of the reasons I’m the person I am and the player I am is because of the experiences I had in Vancouver.”
He also aimed to set the record straight on how he ended his time with the Canucks, telling media, “The one thing I would say is that sometimes I’ll see [people claim] that I wasn’t trying at the end or whatnot. Like, I was playing 30 minutes a night. I was doing everything I could. The only thing you could say is I probably pushed too hard.” Hughes said he expects talk about his competitiveness to be resolved by what he did on the ice, adding, “I didn’t get here because of my lack of competitiveness. Personally, I gave it everything I had.”
Because of the Wild’s back-to-back schedule, Hughes said he would not have an opportunity to see former teammates before the game, but he indicated he is excited to connect with them after it.
The Sunday matchup will also mark the first chance for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, and Liam Öhgren to play their former team in front of a Vancouver home crowd.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM on Sunday.
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