Ten months after Quinn Hughes was dealt from the Vancouver Canucks to the Minnesota Wild in a franchise-altering deal for both sides, the former Norris Trophy winner will make his first appearance at Rogers Arena as a visitor on Friday.
Hughes was dealt to the Wild on Dec. 12, 2025, in exchange for three young players - top defenceman prospect Zeev Buium, forwards Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi and a first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (later used to select forward Adam Novotny).
Buium is an exciting prospect and a potential building block for a successful team, but the immediate aftermath of the trade likely left most fans feeling bitter or resentful - the Canucks were the worst team in the NHL last season at 25-49-8, and cleaned house in the off-season, firing head coach Adam Foote and general manager Patrik Allvin.
The rebuild is officially on in Vancouver, with the team not expected to compete this season and off to a brutal 2-9-1 start in the first month of the campaign.
Hughes, meanwhile, is off to an electric start in Minnesota with 2 goals and 13 points through 12 games, while the Wild are sitting second in the Central Division at 6-3-2.
So how did the two sides get here, and what might the reception for Hughes be when he steps onto the ice at Rogers Arena wearing another team’s uniform for the first time in his career?
A blistering start for Hughes
The 27-year-old superstar defenceman was a revelation out of the gate for the Canucks, who selected him with the seventh-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. The native of Orlando, Fla. made his NHL debut on Mar. 28, 2019, where he recorded an assist in a shootout win against the Los Angeles Kings.
Hughes earned a full-time role on the blue line with the Canucks the following season, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting after amassing eight goals and 53 points in 68 games and helping the Canucks to the second round of the playoffs.
Hughes’ game continued to grow from there. After signing a six-year, $47.1 million contract extension, he began a streak of five consecutive seasons in which he finished in the top 15 in Norris Trophy voting in 2021-22, where he finished with 68 points. The following season, he upped his point total again, setting a then-career high with 76 in 78 games.
Hughes was named the 15th captain in franchise history ahead of the 2023-24 season at just 23 years old, and delivered with the best season of his career - 17 goals and 92 points (both still career highs) and a Norris Trophy. That season, the Canucks finished atop the Pacific Division with a 50-23-9 record, but bowed out in the second round of the playoffs.
The following season, Hughes was brilliant yet again, finishing third in Norris Trophy voting after contributing 76 points in just 68 games, but cracks in the relationship were beginning to form after the team missed the playoffs with a 38-30-14 mark.
Hughes wants out
The relationship between the player and team began to crumble at the outset of last season, when Quinn’s brother Jack Hughes, a forward with the New Jersey Devils, had some interesting things to say about his desire to play alongside his brother at some point down the line.
“Eventually, I’d love to play with [Quinn],” Jack said during the NHL/NHLPA player media tour. “And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point, I want to play with Quinn.
“That’s the question going around. They talk all day about it up in Vancouver, you know? But ya, I’d love to play with Quinn at some point.”
Quinn Hughes said all the right things, telling reporters he was “excited to be in Vancouver,” but Allvin later confirmed that Hughes had already told the team that he did not intend to sign another deal to stay in Vancouver when his six-year extension was set to run out in the summer of 2027.
Allvin said it came to the team’s attention late in 2024 that a new team “was the path that maybe Quinn wants to go.”
“We were hoping, the ownership was trying to do everything, we were trying to do everything, to convince him to stay and try to work through it,” he said.
When the blue liner couldn’t be swayed, the Canucks started talking to potential trade partners, Allvin added.
“Obviously, a deal like this doesn’t come through in just one day,” the GM said. ”It’s been going on for a couple of weeks here where we felt this was, unfortunately, where we were heading with Quinn. And trying to maximize the return for Quinn Hughes.”
Hughes gets dealt to the Wild
After rumours swirled for weeks in the early portion of last season, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger finally reported that the situation had come to a close - the Canucks dealt Hughes to the Wild for a package of three young players and a draft pick.
The Canucks were off to a dreadful start last season, and were sitting at the bottom of the NHL standings at 11-17-3 midway through December when the deal was announced.
“It’s definitely not an easy day for the franchise here,” Allvin said on a video call that night. “Quinn Hughes has been a big part of the organization and a great person and a great hockey player. He has a lot of records.
“Tough, tough day. But we’re also excited about the return of the players we got here, the younger players.”
The Canucks responded positively to the deal, rattling off a season-high four consecutive wins, but then tumbled to rock bottom with an 11-game losing streak that all but ended their hopes of contention for the season.
Both sides were amicable throughout the process and in the immediate aftermath, with Hughes telling reporters after his first game in Minnesota that “[Team management was] first-class with everything that was going on, and obviously it was a tough situation, but it felt like it was time, and I think [Canucks president] Jim [Rutherford] did too.
Foote wished Hughes the best after the deal went through, but admitted that it was a relief to have a resolution.
“All the noise is finally gone,” Foote said to reporters two days after the trade. “It’s hard on [Hughes], it’s hard on the players when that’s out in the public, and it’s hard to keep those things behind closed doors.
“We’re gonna miss [Hughes], but as far as it goes with your team, it was a distraction, and you can feel it.”
Possible vindication for the Canucks?
As far as the immediate returns on the deal, the trade has gone completely in favour of the Wild - as to be expected- when they shipped pieces with potential for a current superstar.
Hughes has the same number of points as Ohgren, Rossi and Buium combined in the early going this year.
The Wild advanced to the second round of the playoffs a season ago, and are one of the best teams in the league so far this year.
But there may be some nerves in Minnesota as Hughes has not yet signed an extension and is seemingly in no hurry to get one signed.
“I don’t feel stressed to do something before the season,” Hughes said in September. “And that’s not saying that something won’t happen, but that’s just how it is.”
The clock is ticking to come to an agreement on an extension for the Wild, and of course, the call of playing alongside his brothers Jack and Luke in New Jersey is an ever-present shadow hanging over the situation for Minnesota now.
“I’m really happy here. I love the guys. I love the team, and I fit in really well,” Hughes said of Minnesota. “Obviously, there’s a draw to play with [my brothers] at some point, but I think Jack said it perfectly: I’m not going to sacrifice a great spot for me to play with them.”
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported earlier in October on Insider Trading that the anxiety level in Minnesota is likely to be growing every day that Hughes remains without an extension.
“Listen, I think the Wild continue to be patient. I think they feel they still have a lot of time to figure this out,” LeBrun said. “Now, the reason this is not done yet is that Quinn Hughes, as it’s explained to me, is in no rush to make this decision. He could absolutely still extend at some point with the Wild, but he’s just not there right now or he’s ready to give his agent the green light to keep going in negotiations.
“There have been multiple conversations between the Wild and Pat Brisson, the agent for Quinn Hughes, but nothing gets done for real until the player himself says, “okay, I’m in that place.” Until that happens, yeah, there’s anxiety in the Twin Cities. There should be."
As for the fans in Vancouver, they will get a chance to let Hughes know their thoughts and feelings when he takes the ice on Friday night.