Quinn Hughes has had a remarkable NHL career up to this point. The recently turned 26-year-old has 410 points in 436 games and is already considered the greatest defenceman to ever play for the Vancouver Canucks. In honour of Hughes' birthday, here is a look at where the Canucks' captain ranks all-time among NHL defensemen before turning 26.
Starting with points, there are a few defensemen who collected more than Hughes before turning 26. His 410 points rank 11th all-time, with Hughes collecting more points before turning 26 than players like Erik Karlsson, Cale Makar, Adam Fox and Morgan Rielly. As for some of the names above him on the list, they include Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Ray Bourque and Dave Babych.
Moving over to assists, Hughes has collected 351 in his career to this point. That ranks fifth all-time among defensemen before turning 26 and is the most by any player in franchise history. As expected, the only players above Hughes on the list are Hall of Famers, with Orr, Coffey, Phil Housley and Bourque claiming the top four spots.
As for time on ice, Hughes has played 10627:40 so far in his career. While he currently ranks in the top 20 all-time among defensemen before turning 26, it is important to note that time on ice was not recorded until the 1997-98 season. Regardless, Hughes playing over 10,000 minutes so far is impressive, as it means he has averaged 24:23 per game in his career.
Lastly, Hughes is one of 15 players to win the Norris Trophy before turning 26 years old. Vancouver's captain took home the prestigious award in 2024 and finished third in voting last season. Other notable names on the list include Randy Carlyle, Denis Potvin, Chris Pronger and P.K. Subban.
In the end, it is fair to say that Hughes has had a historic career to this point. He is achieving feats that only Hall of Famers have accomplished, and already has his name featured multiple times in the Canucks history books. If Hughes can continue to play at this pace, it won't be too long before he finds himself in the top 50 for points by a defenceman in NHL history.
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