Quinn Hughes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quinn Hughes
Hughes in 2020
Born	(1999-10-14) October 14, 1999 (age 25) Orlando, Florida, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Defense
Shoots	Left
NHL team	Vancouver Canucks
National team	United States
NHL Draft	7th overall, 2018 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2019–present

Quinn Hughes (born October 14, 1999) is an American professional ice hockey player. He plays as a defenseman and is the captain for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Canucks picked Hughes seventh overall in the 2018 NHL entry draft. Before the draft, many experts thought he would be a top player.

Hughes quickly showed off his amazing offensive skills as a defenseman. In 2020, he was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy. This award goes to the league's best rookie player. He holds several team and NHL records for defensemen. In 2024, he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman.

Before joining the NHL, Hughes played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He then played for the University of Michigan from 2017 to 2019. There, he set a new record for most assists by a freshman defenseman. He also earned spots on the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and the All-Big Ten Second Team.

Hughes has also played for the United States in international tournaments. He competed in the 2018 and 2019 World Junior Championships. He made his senior national team debut at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He helped his team win a bronze medal there.

Ice hockey runs in Hughes' family. His younger brother Jack was picked first overall in the 2019 NHL entry draft by the New Jersey Devils. His youngest brother Luke was also drafted by the Devils in 2021. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played for the United States women's national ice hockey team. His father was a director for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting in Hockey

Quinn Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida. He started playing hockey when his family lived in Boston. His father, Jim Hughes, worked there. Quinn first played as a forward. But at age 13, he switched to playing defense.

In 2006, his family moved to Toronto. His father got a job with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Quinn started skating at a very young age. In elementary school, he even got permission to skate during lunch. This was because he often got distracted watching his brother and father skate on a frozen baseball field.

Hughes played for the Toronto Marlboros in youth hockey. Then, in 2015, he joined the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He could have joined the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The Sarnia Sting drafted him in 2015. But Hughes chose to keep developing in America. He had already decided to play college hockey at the University of Michigan.

Hughes played with future NHL star Brady Tkachuk at the USNTDP. In his first year, he scored 7 goals and had 17 assists. During the 2016–17 season, he scored 4 goals and 22 assists in 26 games. This made him the first defenseman in USHL history to have such high points. He was named to the All-USHL Second Team. He is fifth all-time in points for a defenseman at the USNTDP with 77 points.

College Hockey Years

Hughes played for the Michigan Wolverines from 2017 to 2019. He studied Sport Management there. In his first year, he was the youngest NCAA male hockey player. He scored 5 goals and had 24 assists in 37 games. His 24 assists were the most ever by a freshman defenseman at Michigan.

After his great first year, Hughes was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. He also made the All-Big Ten Second Team. He was a finalist for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Before the 2018 NHL entry draft, Hughes was seen as a top player. This was because of his amazing skating and puck-handling skills. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him sixth among North American skaters. The Vancouver Canucks drafted him seventh overall. He went to the Canucks' development camp. But he decided to return to Michigan for his second year. He wanted to win an NCAA championship and keep improving.

Hughes finished his second season with the Wolverines. He had 5 goals and 28 assists in 32 games. He was the top scorer for the Wolverines. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team. He was also nominated for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the best college player. He was named an AHCA First-Team All-American.

Joining the NHL

On March 10, 2019, Hughes signed a three-year contract with the Canucks. He ended his college career early. He made his NHL debut on March 28, 2019, against the Los Angeles Kings. He got his first NHL point, an assist, in a 3–2 win.

Rookie Season and Awards

Hughes joined the Canucks for the 2019–20 season. He quickly became a key player on the team's power play. He scored his first NHL goal in a home game against the Los Angeles Kings. He was the youngest Canucks defenseman to score a goal since J. J. Daigneault.

Hughes kept setting records. He became the first rookie defenseman in NHL history to get three power-play assists in multiple games. By November 27, he was the first Canucks rookie defenseman to have three games with three points. He was also one of the first rookies that season to reach 20 points.

Fans voted Hughes into the 2020 NHL All-Star Game. He was the sixth fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 30 assists. At the NHL All-Star Skills Competition, he competed in the Fastest Skater contest. The next day, he scored a goal in the All-Star Game. Coach Wayne Gretzky praised his skills.

Hughes continued his amazing rookie season. He broke the Canucks' record for most power-play points by a rookie. He also set a new franchise record for most assists by a rookie in a season with 43. He was named Rookie of the Month for February.

The 2019–20 season was paused because of the coronavirus. Hughes finished as the top rookie in points across the league. He was only the third rookie defenseman since Bobby Orr and Brian Leetch to do this. Because of his great play, he was a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Hughes played well in the playoffs too. He set a new NHL record for most playoff assists by a rookie defenseman with 13 assists in 15 games. He also broke the record for most points in a postseason by a rookie defenseman. After the Canucks were out of the playoffs, Hughes was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He finished second in Calder Trophy voting.

New Contract and More Records

The 2020–21 season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hughes started strong with eight assists in nine games. He kept collecting points and matching NHL records. He tied the NHL record for fourth-most points by a defenseman in the first 18 games of a season since 1985–86.

In March, Hughes was one of many Canucks players who got COVID-19. He returned to play on April 21, 2021. He had three points in a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hughes finished the season leading all Canucks defensemen in points. He won the Babe Pratt Trophy as the team's best defenseman.

Before the next season, Hughes signed a six-year, $47.1 million contract. He quickly set more franchise records. On October 21, he became the fastest defenseman in Canucks history to reach 100 points. He was also the fastest active NHL defenseman to do so. The next month, he became the second-fastest Canuck to reach 100 assists.

On November 29, Hughes had a career-high four points in a game. He was the fifth defenseman in Canucks history to get four assists in one game. The Canucks struggled early in the season. They fired their coach, Travis Green. Bruce Boudreau became the new coach. Under Boudreau, the Canucks went on a seven-game winning streak. Hughes had eight assists in Boudreau's first nine games.

On January 21, 2022, Hughes got his 30th assist in his 39th game. He became the second-fastest Canucks defenseman to reach 30 assists in a season. On February 7, he got COVID-19 again. He missed three games. When he returned, he scored a goal and an assist in a win.

Hughes set a new franchise record for most points by a defenseman in a single season. He had 66 points, passing Doug Lidster. The Canucks did not make the playoffs that year. But Hughes finished the 2021–22 season with 8 goals and 60 assists for 68 points. He was eighth in scoring among all NHL defensemen.

Hughes broke his own record for most points by a defenseman in a season again. He wanted to score more goals. On March 4, 2023, Hughes got two assists. This made him the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 200 assists. He did it in 263 games, one game faster than Brian Leetch.

Canucks Captain

Before the 2023–24 season, Hughes was named the 15th captain in Canucks history. He became the youngest active captain in the NHL. He was also the first American-born captain for the Canucks.

Hughes and his defense partner Filip Hronek helped the Canucks start the season strong. On November 6, Hughes was named the NHL's First Star of the Week. He had eight points in three games. A few days later, Hughes and Hronek became only the third defense pair in NHL history to each have 14 or more assists in the first 13 games.

On November 20, Hughes matched his career-high of eight goals. He was the first player to reach 30 points in the 2023–24 season. He was also the third defenseman in NHL history to reach 30 points in the first 17 games. The next month, Hughes was the first defenseman to reach 40 points that season. He was also the first Canucks defenseman to do it in less than 40 games.

Hughes was named to the 2024 National Hockey League All-Star Game for the second time. He finished the regular season with 92 points, leading all defensemen in the league. Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy at the end of the 2023–24 season. He was the first Canucks player ever to win this award.

In his first season as captain, the Canucks finished first in their division. They made the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Hughes had 10 assists in 13 playoff games. The Canucks won their first series but lost in the second round.

On November 5, 2024, Hughes got three assists. He became the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 300 assists. He did it in 376 games. On December 1, Hughes passed Alexander Edler to become the Canucks' all-time leader in assists by a defenseman.

International Play

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze	2018 Denmark
World Junior Championships
Silver	2019 Canada
Bronze	2018 United States
World U18 Championships
Gold	2017 Slovakia

Hughes has proudly played for the United States in international hockey. He said it was an easy choice to represent his country.

In 2015, Hughes played in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He was one of seven players from his Toronto youth team to play. But he was the only one representing the United States.

In 2017, Hughes helped the U.S. Under-18 team win a gold medal at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships in Slovakia. He was among the top five U.S. defensemen in scoring with five points. Later, he joined the U20 U.S. national junior team. They won a bronze medal at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

A few months later, Hughes was the youngest player on the senior United States roster. He competed at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. At 18, he was the only college player on the team. He helped the U.S. team win another bronze medal.

In 2019, Hughes played in the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships with his brother Jack. They were only the third pair of brothers to play for the U.S. at this tournament. Hughes helped lead the team to the gold medal game. They lost a close game to Finland.

Player Profile

Hughes is known for his smooth skating and quick movements. He says he tries to play like NHL defensemen Duncan Keith and Kris Letang. When the Canucks drafted him, their general manager praised his dynamic skating. He also liked Hughes' ability to move the puck quickly. An expert from Sportsnet called Hughes one of the best young defensemen in the NHL.

Family Life

Quinn Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida. His father was an assistant coach for the Orlando Solar Bears at the time. His mother is Jewish and his father is Catholic.

His grandfather, Marty, was a former Marine. He was also a battalion chief for the New York City Fire Department. He came out of retirement to help firefighters on September 11 attacks.

Hughes comes from a family of hockey players. His father, Jim Hughes, played college hockey. He was also an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins. His mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, played ice hockey, lacrosse, and soccer in college. She was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame. She also played for the United States women's national ice hockey team. She won a silver medal at the 1992 World Championship.

Quinn has two younger brothers, Jack and Luke. Both of them also play hockey. They were drafted by the New Jersey Devils. Jack was picked first overall in 2019. Luke was picked fourth overall in 2021.

His uncle Marty and cousin, Teddy Doherty, also played hockey professionally.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2015	United States	U17	5th		5	1	9	10	6
2017	United States	U18			7	1	4	5	4
2018	United States	WJC			7	0	3	3	6
2018	United States	WC			10	0	2	2	2
2019	United States	WJC			7	0	2	2	0
2019	United States	WC	7th		8	1	9	10	0
Junior totals					26	2	18	20	16
Senior totals					18	0	9	9	2

Awards and Honors

See also

• List of select Jewish ice hockey players