Dec 16, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) watch as goalie Thatcher Demko (35) makes a save on Colorado Avalanche forward Parker Kelly (17) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesLast night, the Vancouver Canucks (36–29–13) were eliminated from playoff contention following an 8–7 overtime win for the Minnesota Wild. Tonight, they faceoff against the Stanley-Cup contending Colorado Avalanche (48–27–4). The Canucks currently lead the season series 2–0 and have scored six goals to Colorado’s one. Last time, Vancouver shut the Avalanche out 3–0.
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A Vancouver and Colorado matchup is always one to get excited for, as the two teams boast two of the NHL’s best defensemen. Tonight’s game marks the second time this season that Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar will play against one-another. While both could easily contend for this season’s James Norris Memorial Trophy, Makar’s extra games played will likely give him the edge over Hughes. As it stands, Makar leads the way in scoring by a defenseman with 30 goals and 61 assists in 79 games played, while Hughes has 16 goals and 58 assists in 64 games.
Players to Watch:
Quinn Hughes:
The 2024–25 regular season has been a massive one for Hughes. Not only does he lead his team in points, but he has also reached multiple milestones since October 9, 2025. For seasons, fans have speculated about when — not if — Hughes will break Alex Edler’s franchise record for career points by a defenseman. He can very easily tie, or even break the record tonight, as Hughes only has three more points to collect before he surpasses Edler’s 409 career points as a Canuck. Registering two points in one game is no challenge for Hughes, who has done-so 24 times already this season. If he breaks the record tonight, this will be the fifth game this season in which he has scored three points.
Brock Nelson:
Though he has only been with the Avalanche for 16 games, Nelson has cemented himself as the team’s second-line centre. He has four goals and seven assists since joining Colorado. Matchups against Vancouver tend to go well for him, as he scored his first career goal against the Canucks in 2013 and has 10 goals and eight assists in 21 games played against them. If Pius Suter is able to shut down Nathan MacKinnon’s line once again, Nelson could provide the offense Colorado needs to win the game.
Vancouver Canucks (36–29–13):
Last 10: 4–4–2
Quinn Hughes: 16–58–74
Brock Boeser: 25–24–49
Conor Garland: 19–29–48
Jake DeBrusk: 25–20–45
Pius Suter: 24–21–45
Colorado Avalanche (48–27–4):
Last 10: 7–2–1
Nathan MacKinnon: 32–84–116
Cale Makar: 30–61–91
Martin Nečas: 27–54–81
Brock Nelson: 24–30–54
Artturi Lehkonen: 27–17–44
Game Information:
Start Time: 6:00 pm PT
Venue: Ball Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: Sportsnet 650
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