VANCOUVER — One of the hardest things Quinn Hughes must do as captain these days is deal with the media in a hockey-mad market fearful that another National Hockey League season is headed towards disappointment. But the most important thing he has to do is stay positive.
Not for reporters, necessarily. But for teammates and everyone who sees him daily inside the Vancouver Canucks’ compound.
Hall of Fame former captain Henrik Sedin, now a Canucks development coach, talked about the importance of a positive outlook when he was mentoring Bo Horvat, who succeeded Sedin and preceded Hughes as captain.
No matter what was happening with his game or the team, Sedin said it was vital to bring the same positive attitude and work ethic to the rink every morning — to lead by example.
A quarter into the Canucks’ season, positivity is Hughes’ challenge as injuries have again buckled the team and contributed to a 9-10-2 record.
“I think that message is definitely right,” Hughes said in an interview after Wednesday’s practice at Rogers Arena. “But it’s obviously really hard to do because you’re frustrated, and it’s hard to flip a switch where nothing’s going to bother me today and I’m going to be completely positive. But that’s why Henrik is a Hall of Famer. He was able to be mentally strong, and that’s why he probably became the player he became and the leader he became. That message was probably spot on.
“You can always find a way to be negative. Always. But you can always find a way to be positive, too. I’ve been there at times this year where you’re on the negative side a bit, and you’ve just got to flip it and control what you can control. I mean, it’d be nice if we started 7-3, but we didn’t. Now we’re at where we’re at and just have to move on from here. Obviously, I’m never happy losing.”
Hughes told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas in the 32 Thoughts podcast before the season that the Canucks, after last year’s upheaval, really needed to start well and win six or seven of their first 10 games.
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32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
He explained Wednesday that he knew that would be difficult, especially if there was another outbreak of injuries. By Game 12, soon after a stretch of seven games in 11 nights, the Canucks were missing nine players.
“It’s obviously frustrating, but I honestly thought this would happen,” Hughes said of the injuries. “It was a big concern of mine coming into the year. If you look at the schedule, how is anyone supposed to stay healthy? You look around the league, we’ve had nine guys out. Tampa had five guys out when we played them (on Sunday). It’s like every team around the league has four or five guys out. Us being at nine at one point, you know, was beyond insane. You feel for the injured guys because they want to be playing. That’s the (crappiest) thing, being injured.”
Hughes himself has missed five games with two different injuries.
But in his last three games, the 2024 Norris Trophy winner has 10 assists, the first player in Canucks history to amass that total over nine periods.
The offensive outburst, which matched Hughes’ point total from his first 13 games, has rocketed the 26-year-old back among the defenceman scoring leaders in the NHL, five points behind arch-rival Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, who has played three more games.
With Canuck systems play alarmingly frayed by injuries and personnel changes, Hughes and blue-line partner Filip Hronek are not dominating possession like they did the last two seasons. But Hughes looks like a world-class defenceman again.
His 49.2 per cent of shot attempts is still far below the 56.6 share he posted the last two seasons, when he won one Norris and was runner-up to Makar for the other, but Hughes’ expected-goals of 50.1 per cent is still the best among Canucks regulars.
“I liked my game earlier, I really did,” he said of his slow start offensively. “But maybe there was, like, a per cent or two missing — just a little bit of swagger. Just a little bit cleaner on some touches in the O-zone, where I would have been normally. Like, I remember a play in Chicago (on Oct. 17) where I lost the puck on the blue line, which I wouldn’t if I’m at my best. I would never lose the puck there. You just keep going. You can’t play great for 82 games, so I’m trying to be mentally tough and stay focused on the things I can control. I think that’s helping.”
Ah, yes, the focus.
This is the season of The Great Decision by Hughes, and whether the best player in franchise history wants to sign an extension with the Canucks this summer, a year ahead of unrestricted free agency, or leave to try to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke, in New Jersey.
Hughes declined Wednesday to discuss The Great Decision, saying that his entire focus is on trying to help the Canucks win.
But we did ask him about “the noise.”
Hughes told Sportsnet before the season that as captain he could “handle the noise” that would accompany conjecture about his future all season.
He smiled Wednesday and said: “I’m not on social media, so, like, the only noise is the noise inside my own head.”
Well, hopefully that’s not too loud then.
“It depends on the day and what that noise is,” Hughes countered. “When I say, I can handle the noise, that’s my own thoughts.
“Obviously, I know there’s noise out there. It is weird, but I just know in my head that all I have to do is just control what I can control, which is to try to bring my best every night. At the start of season … when it wasn’t going in for me, what’s the point in pouting or wondering: Why didn’t this go in or that go in? If you think you’re that good, then just go score or go make a play. And that’s kind of what I’m trying to do. Just go play and see what I can do.”
How are things going to get better for the Canucks?
“I think that we’re being coached well, very well,” he said. “We work extremely hard. You can never doubt … everyone in here is working hard. Our goaltending is great. We’re hopeful to get some guys back soon, and we’re competitive, so we’re going to try our hardest. And wherever that takes us, it takes us.”
INJURY NEWS
With a two-game homestand starting Thursday against the Dallas Stars, key winger Conor Garland fully practised with teammates Wednesday after sitting out Monday’s 8-5 loss to the Florida Panthers. Coach Adam Foote said Garland did not suffer a concussion in his fight with Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Darren Raddysh early in the Canucks’ 6-2 road win on Sunday. … Foote said centre Teddy Blueger (undisclosed injury) suffered a setback after practising recently, but will be back on skates soon. Winger Nils Hoglander (ankle surgery) could return within three weeks. Goalie Thatcher Demko (groin) remains week-to-week. There is still no timeline for the return of centre Filip Chytil (concussion) and defenceman Derek Forbort (abdominal).
WEDNESDAY’S PRACTICE
Forwards
Kane-Pettersson-Sherwood
Boeser-Kampf-Garland
DeBrusk-Raty-O’Connor
Reichel-Sasson-Karlsson
Extras: MacEachern, Bains
Defencemen
Hughes-Hronek
M. Pettersson-Myers
E. Pettersson Jr.-Willander
Extra: Joseph
Goalies
Lankinen
Patera
