It looks like two of the NHL’s best American-born players aren’t interested in extending their season.
According to Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie and Dhali — The Team, Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes has already declined an invitation to play for the United States at the IIHF Men’s World Championship.
Dhaliwal stated that he believes goaltender Thatcher Demko also has no interest in playing in the tournament, citing the desire for both players to rest after injury-riddled seasons.
Been told Quinn Hughes has already said no to the USA team for the world hockey championships.
I believe Thatcher Demko is not going as well.
Both need the rest after lots of injuries this season..
— Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) April 10, 2025
Hughes has been banged up for a lot of the second half of the season. An oblique injury forced him to miss the 4 Nations Face-Off, keeping him out of action for over three weeks. Then, an undisclosed injury forced the former Michigan Wolverine to miss two more games last month.
Despite missing a total of 14 games, Hughes still leads the Canucks in scoring, having notched 16 goals and 58 assists for 74 points in 64 appearances. His 1.16 points per game is actually better than last season, which saw the Orlando, Florida native register 92 points in 82 games.
Demko started the season on the shelf thanks to recovering from offseason surgery after exiting the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs due to injury. He has seen stints on injured reserve, with his inconsistent action resulting in mediocre numbers from the 29-year-old.
Demko has a 10-8-3 record in 23 starts this season, with a 2.90 goals-against average, a .889 save percentage and one shutout. The former Boston College star hasn’t played for the U.S. since the 2019 World Championship, the same year Hughes last donned the red, white and blue in an international tournament.
Team USA, coached by San Jose Sharks bench boss Ryan Warsofsky, is playing in Group B at the Men’s Worlds, playing its opening round games in Herning, Denmark. The Americans will open up their tournament against the host Danes on May 9.
The Canucks (36-29-13) were effectively eliminated from postseason contention after the Minnesota Wild beat the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night. Vancouver has just four games remaining this season, including a matchup with the playoff-bound Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night.
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