This was part of his story he never imagined.
“I was incredibly honoured and proud. When you’re a kid you dream of playing in the NHL and winning a Stanley Cup, but sometimes it’s a little too good to dream about being the captain.” Hughes said, adding it was a special moment for him to share the news with his brothers.
“They were proud of me, I think my brother Jack had a sense that possibly this could be happening, and my brother Luke was very proud of me as well,” he said.
The 23-year-old has grown to be one of the NHL’s best defecemen in his five years with the team. Growth is important, and he doesn't feel the pressure “be” a specific leader right away. He’s gleaned different ways of leading from his time in Vancouver from players and coaches like J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, the Sedins, Stan Smyl, Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom. As he evolves as a player, he expects the way he leads to develop too.
“I think that I’m never going to be the loudest guy in the room but will be a guy that hopefully can be a leader through his work ethic,” he said.
Miller, Pettersson, and Thatcher Demko joined the press conference to support their teammate’s achievement. Hughes calls himself lucky to have a trio of mentors show up for him.
“I feel confident walking into this because of the coaching staff and the management I have with me. The people behind me – as you see with Millsy, Petey and Demmer here – it means more than they can know to have them here with me.”
General Manager Patrik Allvin made the announcement prior to Training Camp to signify a new era in Vancouver.
“This is just a reflection of Quinn’s exceptional talent on the ice. It’s also a reflection of him off the ice and his leadership qualities. We’re very fortunate to have several players, including Petey, J.T. and Demko easily could have worn the “C”. It’s not about one guy, it’s about the team,” Allvin said.
“This was a collective process, Rick Tocchet, the coaching staff, hockey operations, Jim Rutherford and ownership, we’re excited about this and they’re excited about Quinn Hughes as a captain here.”
Hughes impressed Head Coach Rick Tocchet last season with his passion for the game and the type of teammate he is.
“That’s a big thing with me is how he comes in the day to day. The way he acts with employees around here, just like our other guys, they’re gentlemen and that means a lot in being a leader,” Tocchet said.
In true gentleman fashion, Hughes’ opening remarks included thanking the Aquilini family and hockey operations for trusting him with the responsibility of captain. He also acknowledged the 9/11 terror attacks, paying tribute to those lost and sharing his grandfather was a firefighter in New York City for 31 years.
The captain is an extension of the coach and Hughes can take a stand in the locker room when he needs to. He doesn’t shy away from hard conversations, which is something Tocchet took note of.
“There’s some uncomfortable situations where these guys and Hughesy have stepped up and there’s going to be some bumps in the road that will happen this year so it’s important we’re all aligned and he’s not afraid to go there because he wants to win so bad,” Tocchet said.
Hughes doesn’t mince his words. He feels the Canucks core are in their prime and they need to capitalize on it.
“I think we have guys that are really hungry and tired of losing, including myself, and take it personally at this point. I’ve been talking to other guys and that’s how they feel. Having 35, 40 guys come to camp three and a half weeks early just shows how dedicated and how bad everyone wants to win.”
He wants the work he and his teammates have been putting in in the offseason to speak for itself. He’s grateful for this new role but hasn’t really taken the time to celebrate his captaincy as he’s been so focused on getting ready for the season.
“I just want to get to camp and keep pushing it,” he said.
