Quinn Hughes sets new Canucks record for most points by a defenceman in a season

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes set a new career-high mark for points in a season with an assist against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.

In doing so, the 23-year-old rearguard broke his own Canucks record for the most points by a defenceman in a single season. Hughes now has 69 points (five goals, 64 assists) in 69 games with the Canucks in 2022–23.

It took Hughes 76 games to collect 68 points during the 2021–22 regular season. He needs three more goals in the Canucks’ final nine games of this season to tie his career-best of eight, which he set in 2019–20 and equaled in 2021–22.

The Canucks originally selected Hughes in the first round (No. 7 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut with the club at the tail end of the 2018–19 season, picking up three assists in his first five games.

Hughes almost immediately emerged as a bona fide top-pairing defender with the Canucks the following year, collecting 53 points in 68 games before adding 16 points in his first 17 playoff contests.

Through 274 games with the Canucks to begin his NHL career, Hughes has amassed 24 goals and 234 points. He’s one assist back of Ryan Kesler (211) for 20th place in Canucks franchise history.

The Canucks currently lead the Blackhawks by a 4–2 score late in the third period of Sunday’s game at United Center in Chicago. Pending the outcome of that contest, they’ve won nine of their last 11 games and currently rank in sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 33–34–5 record.