Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won’t suit up for Team USA at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin made the announcement on Sunday afternoon.
General Manager Patrik Allvin announced today that D Quinn Hughes will not play for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) February 9, 2025
The announcement comes as the result of an injury that Hughes sustained during the Canucks’ January 31st matchup with the Dallas Stars. Hughes exited that game and eventually returned, and was a gametime decision for the Canucks’ next game- a home contest against the Detroit Red Wings.
Hughes took warmup for that game before talking to a Canucks trainer at the bench before ultimately deciding he wasn’t good enough to go. It’s believed Hughes is dealing with an oblique injury.
Hughes is very close to being ready to play, and the Canucks were clear with him that playing in the 4 Nations Face-Off was ultimately his call. The captain has seemingly decided to take the two weeks off and gear up for his club’s final push to the playoffs.
It’s a big blow to Team USA’s chances, as Hughes was slated to be their number one defenceman. Obviously, this is a tough situation for Hughes, who was looking forward to playing with his brother Jack in a tune up for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
This isn’t the first injury that Hughes has suffered or tried to play though this season, as even during his most recent games, he could be seen with quite the splint on his hand.
The Canucks have fared well in Hughes’s absence, amassing a 3-0-1 record in four games without their captain. This included a shutout win over the Colorado Avalanche and Saturday night’s 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Head coach Rick Tocchet had plenty of praise for his team post game following the victory over the Leafs.
“Lately, the game plan has been good, and I just see a lot of buy in,” said Tocchet. “When you play 82 games, you’re going to play stinkers and you’re going to win games. Like San Jose, we obviously didn’t like our game but we grinded it out. This is another game that you have to grind it out to find different ways to win. That’s what good teams, resilient teams do.”
The Canucks play their next game on February 22nd, when they’ll travel to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights.
