Hughes cements his legend, etching his name alongside NHL greats with historic assist milestones and rewriting franchise records.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Quinn Hughes keeps finding himself in rare company, and the list is getting harder to ignore.
With another three-assist performance, Hughes reached the 400-assist mark in just 484 career games, becoming the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to hit the milestone, trailing only Bobby Orr (437 GP) and Paul Coffey (464 GP).
The night also marked Hughes’ fifth three-assist game since joining Minnesota, setting a new franchise record for most in a single season.
He tied Ryan Suter who had five three-assist games. The crazy thing is, Suter had that in 656 games. Hughes has it in 25 games.
Hughes’ latest milestone also placed him in elite company among American players. At 484 games, he became the second-fastest American-born player in NHL history to reach 400 assists, behind only Craig Janney (477 GP).
The production hasn’t come in isolated bursts. Hughes has now recorded assists in nine consecutive games, tying Kirill Kaprizov (nine games in 2022–23) for the longest assist streak in franchise history.
“I tell this already so many times. After every game," Kaprizov said on Hughes. "Yeah, he’s absolutely special player, and it’s fun to play with him. So fun. I say after every game and everyone knows this.”
For a defenseman still in his first season with the organization, that consistency is almost unprecedented. It truly is ridiculous.
In fact, Hughes’ nine-game assist streak also tied the NHL benchmark for longest by a defenseman in his first season with a franchise, matching Tom Kurvers (1991–92 with the Islanders) and Tom Edur (1977–78 with the Penguins).
He has two goals, 14 assists and 16 points in his last nine games.
The Wild’s attack has increasingly run through the blue line, with Hughes initiating breakouts, dictating pace in transition, and creating sustained pressure through puck movement rather than volume shooting.
For Minnesota, Hughes’ run has gone beyond individual milestones. His ability to consistently create offense from the back end has altered how opponents defend the Wild and how Minnesota manages games. The records underscore it, but the tape confirms it.
Another night, another line in the record book and another reminder that what Hughes is doing from the blue line is no longer routine.
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