The debate surrounding how the Vancouver Canucks should honour Quinn Hughes one day has already started.
How the Vancouver Canucks honour former players always creates heated debates among the fanbase. To this day, there are still arguments about whether the Canucks made a mistake placing Roberto Luongo in the Ring of Honour, rather than retiring his jersey. The latest conversation about jersey retirement centers on Quinn Hughes and what the organization should do once he retires.
While the answer to this question may not be known for over a decade, the debate took over social media in Vancouver on Thursday. The idea of retiring Hughes' number was floated by The Athletic's Thomas Drance during a hit on Sportsnet 650, prompting many online to voice their opinions. While some agreed with Drance, it appears the majority of fans feel, at least right now, that 43 should not be in the rafters one day.
The case for Hughes having his number retired is a solid one. He won the franchise's only Norris Trophy and is the all-time leader for points by a defenceman. Hughes also captained the Canucks to one of their best regular seasons in franchise history in 2023-24 and was part of two playoff runs.
As for the case against Hughes, he played only 459 games with the organization. His departure from the organization was also very messy, which led to anger amongst some in the fanbase. Finally, if Hughes plays for the next decade, he will have played more games away from Vancouver in his career than with the organization.
Dec 11, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) skates against the Buffalo Sabres in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn ImagesWhat makes this debate messy is that there are two cases with opposite outcomes that apply to the Hughes situation. As mentioned, Luongo did not have his number retired with the Canucks, while Pavel Bure did. Both players made the Stanley Cup Final with the organization and are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, yet only one has their number hanging at Rogers Arena.
At least for now, fans appear to be against Hughes having his number retired. Time can change opinions, but the messy breakup appears to be impacting how fans feel about the former captain. Ultimately, this will continue to be a debate for years to come, especially if Hughes finds his way into the Hockey Hall of Fame one day.
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