‘Quinn Hughes Sucks’ chants rain down as Canucks fans boo former team captain

In a stretch of several star players returning to their previous home arenas, fans of the Vancouver Canucks had their opportunity to let their former captain Quinn Hughes know how they felt about him on Sunday night, and they did not miss it.

It didn’t take long, with fans chanting “Quinn Hughes Sucks” right as the Minnesota Wild defender hit the ice for the first time. Fans also booed him during warmups, before also chanting “Quitter” later on.

Hughes, now with the Wild after a trade last season, returned to Rogers Arena for the first time after a move that came about when he let Canucks brass know that he didn’t plan to sign an extension to his current contract.

The American defender was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos during a video tribute that was shared about seven minutes into the game.

Hughes was drafted by the Canucks with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft. Over the ensuing seven years, he became very arguably the best defenseman in the history of the franchise.

The oldest of the three Hughes brothers won the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman in 2023-24 when he racked up a career-best 92 points. That season was also his first as Vancouver’s captain.

Last year, as it became exceedingly clear that the Canucks were heading into a deep rebuild, the Canucks opted to ensure that they got a haul in exchange for Hughes’ services rather than lose him for nothing this coming summer in free agency. The front office sent him to the Wild in exchange for a package built around defenseman Zeev Buium as well as forwards Marco Rossi and Liam Ohgren.

Buium, also an offensive-minded left-handed defenseman, has already signed a long-term contract extension to remain in the blue and green for the long haul.

Hughes, whose brothers Jack and Luke play for the New Jersey Devils, hasn’t signed an extension to stay with the Wild beyond this season. In April 2025, then-team president Jim Rutherford admitted that Quinn had a desire to play with his brothers down the line.

The eldest Hughes is one of four members of the gold medal-winning 2026 American Olympic team to either request or receive a trade away from the NHL team with which they began the 2025-26 season, along with Dylan Larkin, Brady Tkachuk and Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck was just traded to the Devils on Friday, possibly increasing the appeal that New Jersey could have in Hughes’ eyes.

Hughes has been excellent in his tenure with Minnesota, notching 53 points in 48 games after the trade last year and posting 14 in 12 contests entering Sunday night’s game.