Rumors have been swirling that the Vancouver Canucks would trade away Quinn Hughes. They have finally done just that, as the Canucks traded Hughes to the Minnesota Wild. The former first-round pick of the Canucks has posted a heartfelt goodbye message to Vancouver on Instagram.
“I am very proud to have played for the Vancouver Canucks for 7 years, I loved the passion in the city & it brought me some of the most exciting times of my life, living out my dream. What makes playing in Vancouver so special is the people, the city, and what the team means to them! I will always be proud to have represented the Canucks!” wrote the former captain in his post.
Hughes was the 7th overall pick of the Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft. After finishing his time with the University of Michigan, he joined the franchise for five games in 2018-19. He played in 459 regular season games with the franchise, finishing the pack of the net 61 times while adding 371 assists. He was also a major part of the powerplay, with 190 powerplay points in his Canucks career. The American blueliner also played in 30 playoff games, amassing 26 points.
He made sure to thank everyone who believed in him in the organization in the post.
“I want to thank Francesco Aquilini and the entire Aquilini family for everything they have done for me the last seven years, they have been first class and I will always be grateful to them. Thank you to Jim Rutherford and Adam Foote for their belief and mentorship. All the staff over the years for always being there for me. Thank you to my teammates, met some of my best friends,” Hughes wrote, thanking ownership, coaches, and teammates.
Now Hughes will be looking forward to his next chapter, joining a Wild franchise that is looking to make the playoffs for a sixth time in the past seven seasons.
“In saying that I am ready for this next chapter and I couldn’t be more excited to be in The State of Hockey! See you tomorrow Minnesota!” Hughes closed out his post.
The Wild are 18-9-5 on the season, which is good for third in the Central Division, but tied for the fourth-best record in the NHL. Hughes will make his debut with the Wild on Sunday evening as they host the Boston Bruins.
