Vancouver Canucks Gameday Preview #13: The Return Of Quinn Hughes To Rogers Arenda

The Vancouver Canucks (2-9-1) will look to end their nine-game losing streak on Sunday when they welcome the Minnesota Wild (6-3-2) to Rogers Arena. As mentioned, the Canucks are trying to avoid a tenth straight loss, as their last victory came on October 3. Last season, the two teams met three times, with Minnesota taking two of the three wins. 

Sunday is the most anticipated return of Quinn Hughes. The current Wild defender spent the first seven and a half years of his career with Vancouver, which included winning a Norris Trophy and being named captain in 2023. Hughes will go down as one of the most talented players to wear a Canucks jersey, as he holds the record for most assists and points by a defender in franchise history. 

The biggest story heading into Sunday night is how the fans will greet Hughes on the ice. His exit from the organization was messy, which angered many in the fanbase. While there will be a time during the game to honour Hughes, he is also projected to be met with plenty of boos and chants throughout the night. 

Elias Pettersson:

If Vancouver is going to snap this losing streak, they need a massive game from Elias Pettersson. The Canucks ' number-one center is at a point-per-game pace, but he is still searching for his first even-strength goal of the year. Projected to play on a line with Brock Boeser and Drew O'Connor, Pettersson needs to be on his game for Vancouver to take down Minnesota. 

Quinn Hughes:

Shutting down Hughes is something few teams have mastered. His dynamic skating is almost unmatched, and his ability to create offensive chances from the blue line is among the best the game has ever seen. There is no doubt that Hughes will be motivated for this game, which could be bad news for the Canucks. 

Vancouver Canucks (2–0–1): 

Points: 

Elias Pettersson: 4–8–12

Linus Karlsson: 4–5–9

Linus Karlsson: 3-5-8

Brock Boeser: 2–6–8

Paul Cotter: 4-3-7

Goaltenders: 

Leevi Meriläinen: 1–2–1

Kevin Lankinen: 1–7–0

Minnesota Wild (6-3-2)

Points: 

Kirill Kaprizov: 11-6-17

Quinn Hughes: 2-11-13

Matt Boldy: 5-4-9

Joel Eriksson Ek: 2-5-7

Maxim Shabanov: 2-4-6

Goaltenders: 

Jesper Wallstedt: 6-2-2

Calvin Pickard: 0-1-0

Start time: 7:00 pm PT 

Venue: Rogers Arena 

Television: Sportsnet

Radio: KiSS West Coast

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