Tonight marked the Canucks' first game against former captain Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild.
The Vancouver Canucks took on Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild for the first time since their trade in December, losing by a score of 5-2. Tom Willander and Jake DeBrusk scored Vancouver’s two goals of the game, while Nikita Tolopilo stopped 32 of 34 shots faced in his 14th start of the season.
Tonight, all eyes were on the four pieces involved in Vancouver and Minnesota’s blockbuster deal. It was former Wild forward Liam Öhgren who made the biggest impression at the beginning of the game tonight, putting his trademark forecheck to work on a Vancouver penalty kill to break the puck back out into the O-zone and even drawing a penalty for his efforts. The Canucks took a 2–1 lead off the ensuing power play.
Tolopilo has had a rough go in his most recent starts, though that was not the case tonight. The goaltender stepped up big-time for Vancouver when Minnesota began to press during the first period. He also made a couple of grade-A saves on Quinn Hughes — one moments after Minnesota’s second goal of the game and another off a breakaway after the defenceman exited the penalty box.
After scoring three goals and putting up an assist the night before, Brock Boeser continued his stretch of success by producing some solid scoring chances in the first period. Not only did he manage to get a chance in on Filip Gustavsson all alone off the rush, he also created a strong rebound chance from the right of the Minnesota goaltender.
Turnovers were an issue for the Canucks tonight, as three of Minnesota’s goals came about after Vancouver’s defencemen were unable to properly get the puck off their sticks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph was unable to clear it on the first goal, while a giveaway by Zeev Buium gave Matt Boldy his second goal of the game. Defenceman Elias Pettersson’s pass ended up on Kirill Kaprizov’s stick before ultimately winding up in the back of Vancouver’s net.
Given the fact that Vancouver played in Colorado the night before — and won, no less — their early effort in this game wasn’t bad at all. Having said that, the Canucks noticeably slowed down towards the third period, during which Minnesota took the opportunity to build on their one-goal lead.
Post-game, Hughes spoke on what playing against his former teammates was like.
"Definitely a little weird, but I think that you move on and I'm happy to be here right now. Probably [playing] in Vancouver would be a little bit weirder than this, but yeah, it was nice. We got the win, and we've got a big weekend coming up."
With the loss, Vancouver officially clinches 32nd in the NHL, giving themselves the best odds at selecting first-overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. Minnesota officially secures a playoff spot with the win.
Apr 2, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek (14) is called for tripping on this play with Vancouver Canucks forward Liam Ohgren (92) during the first period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn ImagesStats and Facts:
- Tom Willander takes sole possession of fifth in the NHL in scoring by a rookie defenceman with his 20th point of the season
- Jake DeBrusk scores his third power play goal in four games
- Elias Pettersson extends his current point streak to four games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
8:32 - MIN: Matt Boldy (39) from Marcus Johansson and Joel Eriksson Ek
16:00 - VAN: Tom Willander (5) from Teddy Blueger and Max Sasson
16:42 - VAN: Jake DeBrusk (18) from Filip Hronek and Elias Pettersson (PPG)
2nd Period:
0:23 - MIN: Matt Boldy (40)
6:08 - MIN: Kirill Kaprizov (40) from Mats Zuccarello
3rd Period:
6:03 - MIN: Ryan Hartman (19) from Mats Zuccarello and Quinn Hughes
18:52 - MIN: Ryan Hartman (20) from Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy (ENG)
Up Next:
The Canucks will now head back to Vancouver for another matchup against a Central Division team, this time taking on the Utah Mammoth in what will be their third-last home game of the season. Though the game will be played in Vancouver, puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 pm PT.
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