Quinn Hughes said he felt better than ever when he skated with teammates from Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday for the first time in phase 2 of the NHL Return to Play plan at Rogers Arena.
“Definitely charged and in a nutshell,” said the rookie defender. “I think the four months here have been a blessing because I feel really strong now and I think I can do better in the playoffs than I did three and a half months ago … I feel just as strong. I am confident excited and ready to come back here. “
It was Vancouver’s first skating day in phase 2, which started on June 8 when the NHL allowed voluntary workouts on and off the ice in small groups in team facilities. In addition to Hughes, notable players who participated in two sessions were strikers Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser.
Hughes, who led NHL newcomers this season with 53 points (eight goals, 45 assists) and 25 power play points, played 68 of the 69 games in Vancouver before the NHL paused the season on March 12 due to corona virus concerns .
“Everyone is going through this (quarantine) for the first time so people don’t really know what to expect,” said Hughes. “But for me personally it was really nice to see the boys again today. Everyone missed each other and it was a fun day.”
The Canucks went 36-27-6 (0.565 points percent) in the regular season before their break and are listed as number 7 in the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. You will be playing number 10 seed, Minnesota Wild (35-27-7, .558), in one of eight best-of-5 series.
Provided the health and safety conditions allow and the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association reach agreement on phases 3 and 4 of the return to play plan, the training camps will open on July 10th. A start date for the qualifiers and hub cities – one for the 12 participating Western Conference teams, one for the 12 Eastern teams, were not determined.
Hughes said he never stopped improving during the break.
“This time outside of the game gave me a lot of time to think about what I could improve, think about the future and what this series (against the wild) could look like,” said the 20-year-old. “They will play hard – it will be do-or-die. They will probably play quite physically, and these are things that I have to get used to and I appreciate that. I think it will be really fun, honestly. “
Hughes, along with the defender of the Colorado Avalanche Cale Makar, is widely regarded as the top candidate for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. He said that the vote is beyond his control at this point and that he is focusing only on the qualifying series.
“It’s amazing; if you’re in season I would be lying if I said I didn’t think much about it, but now that the season is over I haven’t really thought about it because at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, “said Hughes. “For me it was obviously a goal and something I wanted to do and achieve. There are many great newbies this year. If I win in the end, I will appreciate it and it is a blessing, but if I cannot, I can Flip hat. “
Hughes was the third NHL defender (since 1943-44) to lead rookies in one season, along with Bobby Orr (1966-67) and Brian Leetch (1988-89).
“If you say these two names, it sounds a bit crazy, so no, I wouldn’t [have expected] to hear that, “said Hughes.” But at the same time I expected a really good season. After these five games [last season and having three assists]I thought I played well, but I knew I had a different level. When I had this success, I really thought I could have an enormous year. “
Hughes lived in his family’s home in Plymouth, Michigan during the break. He said he spent most of his time with his younger brothers Jack Hughes the New Jersey Devils and Luke, who play basketball 2-3 hours a day, including inline skating and swimming to keep in shape.
“I’m more competitive at home than here, honestly,” said Hughes with a laugh. “I had a lot of fun at home with these guys because we don’t spend much time together all year round. It was pretty loud in the house; it was a good time.”
With 24 teams competing for the Stanley Cup, Hughes is confident that the players in the NHL will increase the intensity.
“I expect very competitive and very good hockey,” said Hughes. “We haven’t played for a while, but we’re all professionals and I think you can learn these things quickly. … It should be really good high-end hockey.”
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