Quinn Hughes won&#8217;t be joining Team USA for their championship matchup with Canada after all.
After <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-captain-quinn-hughes-team-usa-championship-game-vs-canada">USA head coach Mike Sullivan said yesterday</a> that the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Canucks&#8217; captain</a> was en route to Boston to join Team USA, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/want-play-vancouver-canucks-usa-quinn-hughes-standby-4-nations-final-vs-canada">clarifying reports emerged</a> that Hughes wasn&#8217;t actually eligible to play unless another American defenceman went down with an injury. The Americans will be without Charlie McAvoy for the final, but even with that injury, they still have six healthy defencemen. This meant that as of yesterday, Hughes was on standby and sounded eager to join.
“I felt good out there (today),” <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-hughes-skates-team-returns-break-hopes-play-saturday-vegas">Hughes told the media after the team’s 45-minute skate on Tuesday</a>. “In a perfect world, the medical team would like me to take it step by step the next couple of days, but I feel really good right now.
“I really want to [go] and obviously it’s been really hard to watch and I want to play, but from what I can understand the rules are the rules,” he explained. “I’m a competitor and feel like I want to play and need to be there.”
According to The Athletic&#8217;s Pierre LeBrun, Hughes won&#8217;t be going to the tournament after all, as he was not medically cleared.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Team USA has been informed Quinn Hughes is not travelling here to Boston to join the team. Wasn’t medically cleared. Sounds like Team USA looking at bringing in a couple of other players just as insurance, because of illness going around.
&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href="https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1892310941309563370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Prior to the tournament, the Canucks made it clear that attending the tournament would be Hughes&#8217;s decision. He was a game-time decision in games leading up to the break, and seemed close to returning prior to the schedule pause. On top of that, Hughes was a full participant in Thursday&#8217;s Canucks practice. He&#8217;s clearly close, but apparently not close enough.
LeBrun added that he spoke with Hughes&#8217;s agent Pat Brisson, who said the following:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Spoke with Quinn Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson who said it was a very difficult decision for his client, that Hughes really, really wanted to join Team USA. But reality is he still isn’t medically cleared. And likely wasn’t going to play unless Team USA had another D injury or…
&mdash; Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href="https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1892315169294086531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hughes and the Canucks are back in action on Saturday, when they fly to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights, before making a quick turnaround to take on the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if
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Quinn Hughes won't be joining Team USA for their championship matchup with Canada after all.

After <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-captain-quinn-hughes-team-usa-championship-game-vs-canada">USA head coach Mike Sullivan said yesterday</a> that the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations">Canucks' captain</a> was en route to Boston to join Team USA, <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/want-play-vancouver-canucks-usa-quinn-hughes-standby-4-nations-final-vs-canada">clarifying reports emerged</a> that Hughes wasn't actually eligible to play unless another American defenceman went down with an injury. The Americans will be without Charlie McAvoy for the final, but even with that injury, they still have six healthy defencemen. This meant that as of yesterday, Hughes was on standby and sounded eager to join.

“I felt good out there (today),” <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/scenes-vancouver-canucks-practice-hughes-skates-team-returns-break-hopes-play-saturday-vegas">Hughes told the media after the team’s 45-minute skate on Tuesday</a>. “In a perfect world, the medical team would like me to take it step by step the next couple of days, but I feel really good right now.

“I really want to [go] and obviously it’s been really hard to watch and I want to play, but from what I can understand the rules are the rules,” he explained. “I’m a competitor and feel like I want to play and need to be there.”

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Hughes won't be going to the tournament after all, as he was not medically cleared.

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1892310941309563370

Prior to the tournament, the Canucks made it clear that attending the tournament would be Hughes's decision. He was a game-time decision in games leading up to the break, and seemed close to returning prior to the schedule pause. On top of that, Hughes was a full participant in Thursday's Canucks practice. He's clearly close, but apparently not close enough.

LeBrun added that he spoke with Hughes's agent Pat Brisson, who said the following:

https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1892315169294086531

Hughes and the Canucks are back in action on Saturday, when they fly to Vegas to take on the Golden Knights, before making a quick turnaround to take on the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday. It will be interesting to see if

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-138774" src="https://publish.canucksarmy.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2099/08/Article-727x404-1.png" alt="" width="728" height="405" /></a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff Live</a> is on the road! From February 10th to 20th, we’re bringing you live shows every weekday straight from Four Nations, delivering exclusive coverage, insider analysis, and all the tournament action as it unfolds. Don’t miss a beat—subscribe to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff">Daily Faceoff YouTube channel</a> and follow us on social for the latest updates. It’s international hockey, so expect intensity, excitement, and maybe even a little chaos. Stay locked in and catch us live from Four Nations!

Quinn Hughes not joining Team USA as Canucks captain not medically cleared: report

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