LAS VEGAS — Quinn Hughes was 12 years old and wearing the colors of the Toronto Marlboros of the Greater Toronto Hockey League when coach Rich McLeod asked him to become a defenseman.
He accepted and the rest is history.
Only 12 years later, the captain of the Vancouver Canucks got his hands on the James Norris Trophy awarded to the best defenseman in the NHL. As he took the stage at the 2024 NHL Awards Ceremony at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the 24-year-old guard thought about his incredible journey.
“We lacked defenders at the time,” Hughes recalled. I volunteered and it was love at first sight. »
He mentioned that his father, Jim, was a defenseman growing up, so the new position held a certain appeal for him. And lo and behold, on that Thursday night, he was chosen over Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators. He immediately threw himself into the arms of Jim, his mother Ellen and his brothers Jack, a forward with the New Jersey Devils, and Luke, a defenseman and Jack’s teammate with the Devils.
“It’s incredible and I don’t realize it yet,” he admitted. My team and I had a great season. Both individually and collectively, we have progressed a lot, so I am very proud of our season. »
With reason.
In his first campaign as captain of the Canucks, Hughes led all players at his position with 92 points (17 goals, 75 assists) and 17 first assists on the power play. He had nine games with at least three assists, a feat achieved by only two other defensemen in a single season, Bobby Orr (four times) and Raymond Bourque (1993-94).
He acknowledges having gained a lot of maturity both on and off the ice since he was named the 15th captain in Canucks history on September 11, 2023.
“I honestly have a hard time understanding how much I’ve grown in the last 18 months,” Hughes said. “Back then, we were losing a lot and it was hard to see other teams having more success than us.
“It forced me and a few teammates to re-evaluate what we wanted to do and the kind of team or organization we wanted to become. I think we reacted very well. Now we have to continue our progress because I believe we can be serious contenders for a few more years. »
Hughes credited coach Rick Tocchet, who won the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s top coach earlier this month, for helping the team turnaround. Since being hired on Jan. 22, 2023, he has led the Canucks to a 70-35-13 regular-season record.
Last season, the Canucks went 50-23-9, finished first in the Pacific Division and reached the second round of the Western Conference playoffs, where they lost in seven games to the Edmonton Oilers. The pain of that loss is still present, according to Hughes, but he and his teammates have learned valuable lessons.
“I’m not going to win the Norris Trophy every year. There are too many good defenders, he said. But if I can have another year like last one, I could prove to everyone that I can be consistent.
“Now that we’ve been to the playoffs, we want more and I think we can continue to improve. That’s the next step.”
