Quinn Hughes is averaging 27:14 of ice time per game.
Few players have hit the ice more than Quinn Hughes this season. The Vancouver Canucks captain is averaging a league-high 27:14 per game and has played 490:04 minutes through his first 18 games. Hughes being among the league leaders in ice time is not shocking, but what is has been his overall usage over the past few weeks.
During November, Hughes has played nine games. Of those nine games, he has played at least 24 minutes in eight and surpassed the 28-minute mark five times. As for his last three games, Hughes has logged over 88 minutes and is averaging 29:25 a night.
Before the Canucks departed for their four-game road trip, Head Coach Adam Foote met with the media and was asked about Hughes' recent ice time. As mentioned, Hughes is averaging over 27 minutes per night and has been below 25 only once this season. During his response, Foote spoke not just about total ice time but also about Hughes' shift length this season.
"We want Quinn to be out there, but I want it to be different, said Foote. "I don't want him to get 30 minutes with 20, 21 shifts. His desire and passion to win, he just wants to keep going, doing more and trying harder. And you can't knock him for that at all. So we're trying to get him to have 26 to 27 minutes with 30 shifts, not 21. Listen, we have to reel him in. He just wants to win. He wants to play. He's good, good guy about it, and he wants to do the right thing. That's what we hope to keep getting out of him is, you know, come off, let us do the matchups. We'll get you back out there."
Of the 18 games this season, Hughes has only averaged under a minute per shift twice. He is averaging 23.8 shifts a night, while most of the other top defencemen in the league are around 27 shifts per night. Yes, Hughes' power play shifts will impact his shift length, but it is also important to note that his 1:09 per shift average is the longest of any player this season in the NHL.
Foote was then asked if it is hard to limit Hughes' minutes because of how dynamic he is. Based on Hughes' impact on the game and seemingly never-ending motor, there could be a temptation to keep him on the ice for extended shifts. As Foote explained, his goal is to ensure that Hughes is used in a way that maximizes his impact every game.
"We have to tame him. Rather have to tame him than push him. His desire to win, if that's something I have to deal with, then I'll deal with it, and we'll adjust and keep working with him. He's fun to coach and fun to be around."
How Foote and his coaching staff deploy Hughes will be a trend to monitor the rest of the year. With a condensed schedule and the Olympics, Vancouver needs to ensure that they don't overplay their captain, as injuries may occur. The good news is that it appears Foote has a plan for Hughes, which should allow the captain to have a greater impact on games moving forward.
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