Quinn Hughes still hasn’t played a game for the Vancouver Canucks. But that hasn’t stopped fans from plastering his name on the back of the NHL team’s jersey.
“I’ve seen maybe one or two. It’s definitely funny,” said Hughes. “It is exciting as a player. You kind of want that.”
Hughes is suiting up for the United States for the 2018-19 World Junior Hockey Championships in Victoria and Vancouver. The seventh overall draft pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Hughes is a critical part of the Canucks’ ongoing rebuild.
“I’m just excited that it is Vancouver and I have the opportunity to be here. I have only been to British Columbia once before,” Hughes said. “It is just really different than Michigan.”
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The puck-moving defenceman is an alternate captain for the U.S.A. and will be playing in the holiday season tournament for the second year in a row. He is just one of four returning players from last year’s bronze medal-winning team.
“Last year, it helped me a lot mentally, more so than my physical game,” Hughes said.
What makes this year different is Hughes has a teammate with whom he is particularly comfortable: his brother, Jack. Jack is expected to be the No. 1 pick in next June’s NHL draft, which also happens to take place at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena.
“I’m excited for the draft. I have got more friends coming than him,” Hughes said. “I am really looking forward to it.”
But Hughes isn’t looking too far ahead. He hasn’t decided yet what he will do once his season ends at the University of Michigan. For now, he is focused on Team U.S.A.
That’s fine for Team U.S.A. coach Mike Hastings, who is relying on Hughes to help lead the defensive core.
“At times, he can be very dominant. Just the way he can skate, he plays with a lot of deception, a lot of confidence possessing the puck,” Hastings said. “I think he is a really, really strong all-around defenceman. He has a passion for the game; he enjoys it.”
Hughes is playing alongside Tyler Madden, who was picked by the Canucks in the third round of the 2018 draft and is hoping to play with Hughes at the NHL level.
The Team U.S.A. forward is hoping to improve through the World Juniors.
“I think it is obviously a faster tournament, and that plays into my hand a bit. It’s about developing my game offensively,” Madden said.
His father, John, was a longtime forward in the NHL, spending most of his career with the New Jersey Devils. Madden says his dad sent a message of encouragement before the tournament.
“Just stay calm and know you belong and play the game you know you can,” Tyler said his dad told him.
Hastings says the two players should provide lots for Canucks fans to cheer about.
“From a development standpoint, I think both of those guys view themselves as elite players,” Hastings said.
“This gives them an opportunity to look across from them and see players that are elite and see how they can get there.”
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