"We're extremely pleased to have agreed to terms with both Quinn and Elias," said Benning. "Quinn has emerged as one of the premier young defencemen in the league, and we're happy that we were able to make a deal that keeps him in Vancouver long-term. Elias is an exceptional offensive player whose speed and skill are complimented by a strong work ethic and desire to win. Both players will continue to be important parts of this team moving forward."
Hughes, 21, registered 41 points (3-38-41) and 22 penalty minutes in 56 games in 2020.21, pacing all Canucks defencemen in scoring for the second straight season. He also led all Canucks in assists (38), power play points (19), and average time on ice (22:48). In 129 career regular season games, Hughes has collected 97 points (11-86-97) and 46 penalty minutes.
In his first full season with Vancouver (2019.20), Hughes led all rookies with 53 points (8-45-53) in 68 games, becoming only the third defenceman in the NHL's modern era to lead all rookies in scoring, joining Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch. He also went on to set the NHL record for most points (16) and assists (14) by a rookie defenceman in a single postseason during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
A native of Orlando, Florida, Hughes was originally selected by Vancouver in the first round, seventh overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
Pettersson, 22, registered 21 points (10-11-21) and six penalty minutes in 26 games during the 2020.21 campaign before suffering a season-ending injury in early March. At the time of his injury, Pettersson ranked second on the team in goals (10) and was tied for third in points (21).
In three seasons with Vancouver, Pettersson has recorded 153 points (65-88-153) and a plus-19 rating in 165 games. Last season he tied Patrik Sundstrom as the second-fastest player in franchise history to reach 150 points, accomplishing the feat in 162 games, trailing only Pavel Bure (130 games). Pettersson also won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year in 2018.19, joining Pavel Bure as the only other Canuck to win the award.
The 6'2", 176-pound forward was originally selected by Vancouver in the first round, fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
