VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — A chorus of boos echoed through Rogers Arena as Quinn Hughes stepped on the ice for warmups Sunday night.
The former Vancouver Canucks captain was back inside the rink for the first time since being traded to the Minnesota Wild in December, and some fans vocally displayed their displeasure with the move.
Hundreds of people — many clad in Canucks jerseys emblazoned with Hughes’ name and No. 43 — stood around the glass
ahead of warmups, hoping to get a glimpse of the star defenseman. One held a sign reading “And I thought I had commitment issues.”
More boos rained down when Hughes’ name was mentioned by the team reporter on the big screen ahead of puck drop.
Picked seventh overall by the Canucks in 2018, Hughes played 6 1/2 seasons in Vancouver before the blockbuster trade sent him to Minnesota.
The deal saw Vancouver acquire Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren, defenseman Zeev Buium and the Wild’s first-round pick in the 2026 NHL entry draft.
Patrik Allvin, then Vancouver’s general manager, said Hughes had made it clear he was unlikely to sign a long-term extension with the Canucks following the expiration of the six-year, $47.1 million deal he signed in October 2021.
In 2024, Hughes won the Norris Trophy — awarded annually to the league’s top defenseman — after helping Vancouver win a Pacific Division title and make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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