Welcome back to Hughes Week, everybody!

Loved by tens, Hughes Week roars on here at CanucksArmy as the Vancouver Canucks get set to take on ex-captain Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night — the two teams’ first meeting since the December trade that sent Hughes to Minnesota.

For today, April 1st’s instalment, we thought it would be a great idea to ask the question on everybody’s mind (that it appears many have been afraid to express out loud, but not us):

Should the Canucks put up a life-size, solid-gold Quinn Hughes statue outside Rogers Arena?

While others debate whether or not Hughes is worthy of frivolous honours like jersey retirement, we’re getting down to the real nitty-gritty.

Now, we know what you’re thinking. What’s this going to cost? Obviously, the cost of gold matters here. As of yesterday, gold was trading around $6,250 to $6,550 CAD per troy ounce. According to this article I read at bullionbypost.com, a cubic foot of pure gold contains approximately 17,350 to 19,300 troy ounces. Based on a density of 19,320 kg/m³, one cubic foot weighs roughly 1,188–1,206 pounds, which converts to over 19,000+ troy ounces, making it exceptionally heavy. To build a solid gold version of a 5’11” 180-pound Hughes — who has a body volume of approximately 2.93 cubic feet — the Canucks would need to obtain approximately 50,835 to 56,549 troy ounces of gold. Stay with me here.

At $6,250 to $6,550 CAD per troy ounce, that means in raw materials alone, the Canucks would need to spend somewhere around $345,600,000 CAD. That doesn’t include the cost of commissioning the artist, installation, or any of the many other costs this project will entail. You might be thinking that that price point is ridiculous, but the Canucks are estimated to be worth over $2 billion, and not long ago, they paid Loui Eriksson $36 million USD. This is just like doing that about seven more times.

While other NHL organizations focus on other expensive projects like building practice facilities, the Canucks have a serious chance to get back to being innovators by being the first NHL organization to build a solid gold statue of one of their former captains. I say they should seriously consider it.

After all, Hughes is undeniably the greatest defenceman in Canucks franchise history, and the chance to immortalize him is an opportunity they can’t pass up.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated note: Happy April Fools Day from all of us at CanucksArmy!

Need performance without compromise? Check out the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Enjoy up to 72 km of electric range on battery alone. Heading farther for an away game? It seamlessly switches to gas for a combined 962 km range. It’s a total power play on the road with a sleek design and sophisticated, tech-loaded interior. Plus, you can recharge easily at home or utilize over 2,000 public charging stations in BC. Experience range, style, and versatility. Visit your local Pacific Toyota dealer during Red Tag Days for limited-time offers.