ST. PAUL, Minn. — Quinn Hughes had played in Minnesota before. He knew about the State of Hockey reputation. He knew about the passionate fanbase, the deep hockey culture, and the connection the sport has throughout the state.

But after several months with the Minnesota Wild , Hughes now sounds like someone who fully understands it.

“I love the team. I love the city and the fans,” Hughes said following Minnesota’s playoff elimination.

When the Wild acquired Hughes in a blockbuster trade earlier this season, the expectations immediately changed.

The excitement throughout Minnesota was obvious. One of the NHL’s premier defensemen was suddenly wearing a Wild sweater, and for a fanbase desperate to chase a Stanley Cup, it felt like a franchise-altering moment.

Now, after several months in Minnesota, Hughes sounds like someone who has embraced far more than just the hockey side of it.

“I love the team. I love the city and the fans,” Hughes said during his end-of-season media availability following Minnesota’s playoff elimination. “Just being in that locker room, it’s a special group.”

Hughes arrived in Minnesota carrying enormous pressure. The Wild gave up significant assets to acquire him and immediately elevated expectations inside the organization and throughout the State of Hockey. But while the on-ice impact was obvious, Hughes admitted he also quickly felt the connection from the fanbase.

“I could feel the excitement in the city or the people just that know Billy was making a big move,” Hughes said. “That this whole organization had Cup aspirations, obviously. That’s going to go a long way to fans. I could feel that.”

One moment in particular stood out to him.

“Standing ovation when I got off of warmups the first game was pretty special for me,” Hughes said.

For a player who spent years hearing about Minnesota’s hockey culture from the outside, experiencing it firsthand clearly left an impression.

“I’ve spent some time here obviously playing the Gophers, and I always loved coming here and playing them,” Hughes said. “And then I’ve had buddies here I’ve visited in the summer, Brock Boeser, Jack Becker and some of these other guys.”

Even before the trade, Minnesota was already somewhat familiar territory.

Now, it feels different.

“I think it’s an amazing state,” Hughes said. “So passionate about hockey. I love that there’s other sports teams here, too. Be able to go to some of the nice restaurants downtown. So, I mean, there’s still lots to see.”

The 26-year-old admitted the season itself was exhausting mentally. Between the blockbuster trade, Olympic hockey, and a deep playoff run, Hughes said he never really had a chance to fully process everything that happened.

“I never really let myself process or let my hair down a little bit,” Hughes said. “I think I was just always trying to push myself to make sure I’m at my best.”

But even after a difficult playoff exit, Hughes sounded like someone who is not eager to leave Minnesota behind anytime soon.

“It’d be nice to spend some time here and put my feet up and kind of just enjoy the city and see some things,” Hughes said.

Whether Hughes ultimately signs a long-term extension with the Wild remains to be seen. But after only a few months in Minnesota, one thing became clear during his season-ending media availability:

The State of Hockey has already made a strong impression on one of the NHL’s biggest stars.

“I mean I really like it here. I think that I would definitely be open to re-signing. I mean we’ll see what Billy wants to do. Again, we’re not even 36 hours removed so it’s a tough loss. But I definitely would be open to re-signing here.”

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