Browsing: Hughes

It’s the Devils’ first four-game winning streak since a stretch of five victories in a row from Jan. 7-16, 2023. That was two coaching changes ago when Lindy Ruff was behind the bench.

Hughes knifed his way through three Edmonton skaters before beating Calvin Pickard far side for his first goal eight minutes into the second period. He made another nasty move to deke and shoot the puck past Pickard for his second with seven and a half minutes left.

Jesper Bratt scored on the power play off a faceoff and did so with Sweden Olympic coach Sam Hallam in attendance scouting ahead of the New Year’s Eve roster deadline for Milan. Bratt is a good bet to make it as a four-time 20-goal scorer who set a career high with 88 points last season.

Connor Brown, who left in free agency after spending the past two years with the Oilers and helping them go on back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final, took advantage of a mistake by former teammate Evan Bouchard to score one shorthanded. Brown has three goals in his first five games with New Jersey.

All that came after the Devils did not have a shot for the first 11 1/2 minutes. Allen kept them in the game early and did not have to make a ton of quality chances, though he turned aside Leon Draisaitl and Boucher on a power play for two of his better saves.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice for Edmonton, and former Devils forward Curtis Lazar added another with 1.7 seconds left after Dawson Mercer had sealed it with an empty-netter.

Oilers: Visit Detroit on Sunday.

Devils: Visit Toronto on Tuesday night.

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MONTREAL — One day after firing Marc Bergevin and installing Jeff Gorton as the new executive vice president of hockey operations of the Montreal Canadiens, Geoff Molson told us weâ€d understand in time.

That was Nov. 30, 2021, when most people gathered at that press conference were understandably skeptical about what the owner of the Canadiens was selling them — that managing the clubâ€s hockey operations had become a job for two people.

In hiring Gorton, a unilingual anglophone, the prevailing perception was Molson was breaking with team convention of having the hockey boss be able to communicate with the fans in French. The thought was Gorton would run hockey ops and anyone who came in underneath him would essentially serve as his French-speaking puppet.

But if that perception wasnâ€t completely eliminated by the time Kent Hughes was introduced as the 18th GM in franchise history, in January of 2022, it quickly faded as the first moves of the rebuild were being executed by both Hughes and Gorton.

Molson told us weâ€d understand in time, and it didnâ€t take too long before we did.

Four years later, with Molson promoting Gorton to president of hockey ops and extending his and Hughes†contract for five years beyond this one, the ownerâ€s foresight must be commended.

He started with Gorton — the architect of the New York Rangers rebuild who cut his teeth with the Boston Bruins, rising from public relations intern all the way up to GM — and authorized him to hire Hughes, who built up a wealth of experience over two-plus decades as a prominent agent for clients as prolific as Patrice Bergeron. He had a vision of them complementing each other, dividing the labour, and harmonizing on the decisions, and he believed theyâ€d rebuild everything that needed rebuilding.

“We want to establish new standards of excellence at the hockey operations level and improve the way we manage the team on the ice and off the ice,†Molson said upon hiring Gorton. “These new standards include several important organizational improvements, including being better at the draft, being better at player development, and better supporting our players so they can have success in our market.â€

Whatâ€s happened since has been a completely linear progression through a process that rarely, if ever, progresses in linear fashion.

Gorton and Hughes were methodical, meticulous, and calculated. They werenâ€t making as big a bet as they appeared to be making when they hired Martin St. Louis.

Concurrently, they made obvious bets, beefing up analytics and using the information gathered to optimize their draft, trade and signing strategies. They also made massive investments in player development and equally large ones in fostering an environment where players could be themselves and have a better chance of tapping into their potential, and they cultivated and nurtured a culture of honesty and accountability that now permeates throughout the whole organization.

“If you’re going to be direct and honest, and we value that piece and we feel it’s the most important thing, I think it’s got to go from top down,” said St. Louis just prior to the Gorton and Hughes extensions being confirmed by the Canadiens. “You can’t just skip levels just because of positions, and I think they’ve embodied that with the way they treat everybody — not just the players, the security people in the building, everybody. It’s real, and it’s easier to build a good culture when you have good people. I wouldn’t have taken this job if I didn’t think that Gorts and Kent are great people, so it’s easier to move along and get there quicker when you have consistency in behaviour.”

Predictability in behaviour is just as important.

For the players, who thrive on the predictability of their teammates on the ice, knowing how Gorton and Hughes will act and react has provided them optimal working conditions off the ice.

“Theyâ€ve been great,†said Kirby Dach, whom the pair of executives traded for in 2022. “Very personal, very easy to talk to. If you have anything going on, their doors are always open. I think theyâ€re very fair, too. Theyâ€re not going to sugarcoat things and, as players, you respect that and you want to hear it and want to hear when youâ€re not doing the right things and when you are doing the right things. Theyâ€ve been great. Theyâ€ve managed to find a way to keep everyone happy all the time, and everyone around here really enjoys the culture thatâ€s been built. It starts with them, and then Marty, and then the entire leadership group, and then the rest of the team as well.

“Theyâ€ve also made great moves.â€

There were the early trades of what Hughes refers to as “the asset accumulation phase†of the rebuild, like the one that sent Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers for a prospect, a 2023 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick. And there were the more recent ones in the “team-building phase†for Alex Carrier, Zachary Bolduc and Noah Dobson.

In between, and as recently as Monday, there were also the shrewd contracts handed out to young, core members Cole Caufield, Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovsky and Lane Hutson.

Those last two were taken in the first draft Gorton and Hughes oversaw together — first and 62nd overall, respectively — and many more talented players have been added in subsequent drafts to give the Canadiens what experts consider to be one of the best and deepest prospect pools in hockey.

Pair all that with the team going from bottoming out to making the playoffs within three-and-a-half years of Gorton and Hughes signing on, and extending both men long-term was a no-brainer for Molson.

“I am very pleased that Jeff and Kent have committed to the Montreal Canadiens for an additional five years,†read the ownerâ€s statement in the teamâ€s press release. “Their commitment to building a world class organization has been unrelenting and will only get better as we progress in the years to come. I would like to thank Jeff and Kent for taking this team and organization to where it is today, full of talent, size and speed with a support structure that is second to none, an objective from day one. I look forward to many more years working with them.â€

Before Molson officially started working with Gorton and Hughes, it was hard to envision how it would all go.

But Molson was right that weâ€d understand in time and, based on how itâ€s gone so far, heâ€s probably right about the bet heâ€s making on both men delivering a championship-worthy team in due time.

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 2, 2025, 04:06 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

NEWARK, N.J. — Two of the Hughes brothers are now under long-term contracts with the New Jersey Devils, after defenseman Luke Hughes signed a seven-year contract extension this week and rejoined his superstar brother Jack at training camp Thursday.

Could Quinn Hughes, star defenseman with the Vancouver Canucks, join his brothers in the near future?

Ever since Canucks team president Jim Rutherford said last April that Quinn “wants to play with his brothers,” there’s been speculation about when and where that reunion might happen.

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Luke and Jack are now both under contract in New Jersey until 2030, while Quinn will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2026-27 season.

“I think the three of us would all love to play together someday. Whether it’ll happen or not, who knows? We’ll see,” Luke said Thursday. “But I know he loves Vancouver and he’s the captain there. We love being here. You never know. Never say never.”

Luke signed a 7-year, $63 million contract Wednesday that carries a $9 million annual cap hit. The 22-year-old defenseman is entering his fourth NHL season and has 93 points in 155 games, along with two assists in four playoff games.

Luke missed a chunk of training camp during contract talks with the Devils. Quinn Hughes also missed part of the 2021-22 preseason during free-agent contract talks with the Canucks before signing a 6-year, $47.1 million deal with Vancouver. Luke said Quinn offered his perspective as talks with the Devils continued.

“[He said] just stay patient and get what you want. As a family, we decided the deal and we’re really happy of the outcome and really excited to be here for the next seven years,” Luke said.

Jack said he didn’t have much advice to give his brother, given that he’d never been through a “hold out” like Luke had.

“I think it was important for him to get a deal that he’s really comfortable with,” Jack said. “I know he’s going to be ready to go for the season no matter what and you never want to miss time. But most importantly you need a deal you’re comfortable with.”

On top of missing a chunk of training camp, Luke’s preparation for this season was interrupted with his recovery from May shoulder surgery. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said the team is taking that under consideration in working him back into the lineup.

Luke said he’s been “bag [skating] myself” back home, skating five times a week to get into playing shape. In his first day back in camp, he skated in two consecutive practice sessions to start making up for lost time.

“That is the climb. It’s a bit of a unique situation where not only has he missed camp, but he’s also coming off of a major shoulder surgery since he played last,” Keefe said. “So we want to make sure we give him the appropriate time. But he looks good. He’s been through all the medicals and testing that guys would normally go through at the beginning of camp, and he’s cleared.”

Keefe said he doesn’t see a reason why Luke won’t be ready for the Devils’ regular-season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 9.

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Joni Mitchell was mostly right when she sang, “You donâ€t know what you got till itâ€s gone.†But in the case of the Vancouver Canucks, everyone knows what theyâ€ve got in Quinn Hughes — and heâ€s still here.

No matter how this season unfurls for the Canucks, there will be angst on the West Coast about the future of Hughes, who will make a decision next summer whether to negotiate a long-term extension in Vancouver or seek to join his brothers in the National Hockey League in New Jersey.

This uncertainty only heightens the appreciation for what Hughes does on nights like Wednesday (and most nights), when the Canucks†all-world defenceman beautifully set up the first two goals for his team and then later deftly scored one himself as Vancouver dismantled the Calgary Flames 8-1 in their penultimate pre-season game.

Hughes was easily the best player on the ice in Calgary, although there were a lot of strong Vancouver performances.

With their captain headlining what will be close to the Canucks†opening-night lineup against the Flames next Thursday, the team further cranked up its intensity and urgency and checked a pile of boxes for what new head coach Adam Foote wants.

The Canucks played fast and aggressively. They got their defencemen up on the rush consistently, and were outstanding on special teams. Top winger Brock Boeser sniped the first goal on a breakaway from Hughes†brilliant stretch pass, and top centre Elias Pettersson continued his strong pre-season and made it look like 2023 when he lasered in a one-timer on a power-play that went 2-for-4.

Vancouver penalty killing went 6-for-6 and generated a pair of shorthanded goals. Would-be NHL centres Aatu Raty and Max Sasson scored to put exclamation marks on their auditions, and the defence looks close to set, although Derek Forbort played only one shift in the third period and may need to be replaced.

Now 3-2 in the pre-season and building momentum, the Canucks play their final tuneup Friday at home against the Edmonton Oilers before embarking on their 82-game redemption tour next week.

Foote generated some chatter back home in Vancouver when he left out promising forwards Braeden Cootes and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, along with veteran winger Evander Kane, from what was otherwise the Canucks†full, NHL lineup.

But the Kane-Cootes-Lekkerimaki line that practised Tuesday in Vancouver is expected to play together Friday against Edmonton in a last chance (at least for the pre-season) to show that they belong on the season-opening roster that will be set Monday.

Young, promising defencemen Elias Pettersson (Junior) and Tom Willander could also get last looks. At least one of them will play if Forbort canâ€t. The Canucks could also choose to rest veteran Tyler Myers, who looked good in 19:17 of ice time Wednesday after nursing a minor injury for a few days during the pre-season.

It sure looks like Victor Mancini, the prospect component of the package of assets the Canucks received from the New York Rangers last season in the trade of J.T. Miller, has made the team. The defenceman led Vancouver skaters with 22:28 of ice time, which included 5:41 on the penalty kill and 2:54 of power play. Mancini also blocked three shots.

At six-foot-four and 229 pounds, with offensive tools and outstanding mobility, the 23-year-old seems perfectly suited for Footeâ€s demands that defencemen aggressively close down opponents and get up the ice on the attack.

“Personally, I really enjoy it,†Mancini said of the game plan. “As someone who wants to use their skating as much as they can, be aggressive and attack pucks, but also on the other side, breaking pucks out and joining that second layer (on the rush) … I think it’s really important, and it’s been fun.â€

“He’s a specimen,†Canucks assistant general manager Ryan Johnson said during an intermission interview on Sportsnet. “He’s 6-4, he can skate, he’s strong, he’s a beast (on) the ice and in the gym, and I still think his game is evolving. We saw a lot of great things in the Calder Cup run for him (in the AHL last spring). But I still think his ceiling … we still haven’t seen it yet. So we’re obviously very excited about somebody that may have been a forgotten piece in a very big trade for the organization.â€

Itâ€s also the pre-season for referees and linesmen who are adjusting again to NHL speed and reaction time. So itâ€s understandable that some calls get missed, like Nazem Kadri being at least a foot offside on the Flames†only goal. But missing serial offender Martin Pospisilâ€s slew foot on Boeser in open ice in the second period was harder to understand.

The Canucks didnâ€t miss it, though. A few minutes later, as a post-whistle scrum in the Vancouver zone coalesced around Mancini and Blake Coleman, Forbort grabbed Pospisil and threw him to the ice. Pospisil left the game immediately, and Forbort played only six more shifts.

The worst result of any pre-season game is injury and, unfortunately, both Pospisil and Forbort seemed to suffer them.Â

One of four Canucks who cleared waivers on Tuesday, a day after the team cleaved its pre-season roster by 17, 32-year-old journeyman Joe LaBate was back on Vancouverâ€s fourth line in Calgary. The six-foot-five Minnesotan, originally a Vancouver draft pick 14 years ago, registered two shots and one hit during 9:32 of ice time and again displayed some net-front presence.

So, what gives? Well, now that he has cleared waivers, LaBate can spend up to 10 games or 30 days with the Canucks without requiring waivers a second time. Itâ€s possible Foote and GM Patrik Allvin like the idea of LaBate as a depth forward on their season-opening roster, and believe the organization had a better chance to retain him by hiding him in the tsunami of players being waived this week rather than exposing him on waivers a couple of weeks into the regular season. Just a thought.

Boeser to reporters in Calgary: “I thought we worked really hard tonight. We had a good game plan going into it, and we talked about our effort level and reloading hard and being aggressive. And I thought we did that well tonight. It should give us a lot of confidence. I think it shows that when we put the effort in, and determination, I think it really shows what we can do and the chances we can create.â€

DeBrusk-Pettersson-Boeser; Oâ€Connor-Blueger-Garland; LaBate-Raty-Sherwood; Bains-Sasson-Karlsson.

Hughes-Hronek; M. Pettersson-Myers; Forbort-Mancini

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Last week, Ben Kuzma of The
Province reported the Detroit Red Wings were among the
clubs monitoring Quinn Hughes’ situation with the Vancouver Canucks
this season.

Hughes’ future in Vancouver has been
the subject of ongoing speculation since the spring, after Canucks
president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford said his captain would
one day like to play alongside his brothers Jack and Luke, who both
belong to the New Jersey Devils.

The Canucks aren’t shopping Hughes, who
is signed through 2026-27. However, this season could be crucial in
determining his fate. If they miss the playoffs again, the
25-year-old defenseman could be reluctant to sign a contract
extension, forcing the Canucks to consider trading him.

Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now pointed
out Hughes’ ties to Michigan, including playing for the USA Hockey National
Team Development Program in Plymouth and with the NCAA’s Michigan
Wolverines.

If Hughes were interested in playing
for the Red Wings, Duff believes they should make a serious trade bid
next summer. That would include offering up top prospect Axel Sandin
Pellikka in a package deal.

PuckPedia indicates that Hughes lacks
no-trade protection, meaning the Canucks can ship him to the highest
bidder. However, if the Wings become one of them, they must ensure
he’s willing to sign an extension.

NHL’s Biggest Trade Bait With 2025-26 Season Almost Here
It is an exciting time for hockey fans with the new season approaching. Soon, NHL teams will be back to playing regular-season hockey, as it officially begins Oct. 7.

Turning to the Calgary Flames, they
seemed headed toward an amicable parting of ways with Rasmus
Andersson.

The 28-year-old defenseman is
UFA-eligible next July, and contract extension talks broke down in
June, sparking speculation about possible trade destinations.

Andersson denied he only wanted to be
traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, calling it “fake information.â€
While this season could be his last with the Flames, he doesn’t
believe it will distract his teammates.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun believes Andersson
is likely to be moved by the March 6 NHL trade deadline. However, he
reported that neither side has fully closed the door on a contract
extension.

LeBrun believes Andersson might be open
to an eight-year contract, but doesn’t think the Flames are willing
to go that long. Andersson turns 29 in October, which explains their
reluctance.

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VANCOUVER — Whatever noise eventually surrounds Quinn Hughes this season, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman is determined that his play and on-ice focus wonâ€t be part of it.

Entering a season when there will be conjecture everywhere the Canucks travel in the National Hockey League about Hughes†future and whether he will want to play with his American brothers in New Jersey rather than re-sign in Vancouver next summer, the 26-year-old defenceman has looked in training camp fiercely focussed on playing for — and leading — his current team.

Whatever happens, no one is going to be able to accuse the captain of not giving everything he has to the Canucks and trying to help them win.

“Yeah, that’s probably my biggest stress,†Hughes said Tuesday, “where I put so much pressure on myself — making sure that I do everything that I’m supposed to do for the team. And not having a year where Iâ€m not doing the things that I want to do. That’s like my biggest fear, anyone’s biggest fear. But that’s what always keeps me pushing and keeps me hungry. You know, I never think I’m good enough, so that’s always driving me.â€

As with many of the most skilled and dynamic players in the game, Hughes†competitiveness is often underrated. But it has been overt since the Canucks training camp opened in Penticton on Thursday.

It was evident in the only scrimmage of camp, on Saturday, when Hughes actually waved away a line change to stay on the ice after one dominant offensive shift ended with a scoring chance and a faceoff. And it was obvious again Tuesday, after a team day off, in the way Hughes competed physically in small-area battle drills that ended both split-squad practices at the University of B.C.

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Taking almost every shift since camp opened with his regular blue-line partner, Hughes and Filip Hronek have been leading by example, helping set the tone for intensity.

“I don’t even know if I was trying to set a tone,†Hughes said of his scrimmage doubleshift. “I just want to make sure that I’m ready to go. And if I’m ready to go, then that helps the team. Just like, you know, if Brock (Boeser) is ready to go, that helps the team. I didn’t do any scrimmaging during the summer because I was working on some other things, so that’s where I just wanted to make sure I’m getting reps and my energy felt good. Iâ€m trying to push myself.

“I mean, I think we have a lot of competitive guys that want to have good years. We have some really good players here as well, and I think that helps just driving the skates. And then we have young guys competing (for a spot) — a guy like Linus Karlsson that’s been right there for a couple years. We have lots of guys like that. And I just think that makes a competitive camp.â€

Head coach Adam Foote and general manager Patrik Allvin have spoken in general terms about how pleased theyâ€ve been with players†summer preparation and their readiness to work and compete at camp and in the pre-season.

Not many were saying that a year ago when off-season (or pre-season) injuries affected several key players and undermined preparation for a regular season that became one of the most fractured and disappointing in franchise history — even as the team under departed head coach Rick Tocchet finished with 90 points and stayed in the playoff race until the second-to-last week of the regular season.

Foote, who was Tocchetâ€s top assistant, stressed in summer Zoom meetings with his leadership group that players needed to take responsibility for team culture and hold each other accountable.

In an interview three weeks ago with Sportsnet, Hughes said Foote “can teach us and bring us closer. We can have a team. I mean, you look at Florida and they have a ton of talent, but theyâ€re a team. And thatâ€s something we can be.â€

On Tuesday, after five days of official practices, Hughes said the Canucks are moving towards that key goal.

“Obviously, we’re not as talented as some teams, but we do have good talent,†he said. “And, I mean, we can make guys better within the group, and Footy can make guys better. We really don’t know what we are until we see. But as far as us being a team, I think that that’s definitely something we can control. It’s early, but it’s been a good start to that.

“I just think that we have probably more of a connected group now. Everyone’s on the same page, and I think that we’re excited to get going. Everyone knew it was a long summer and wanted to be ready to go. I mean, I’m looking forward to playing some exhibition games and kind of getting back that (competitive) feeling and getting my mind right. And I know other guys are as well.â€

And what about that “noise†that Hughes warned us about earlier this month, when he vowed not to be distracted by conjecture about his future?

Actually, he said Tuesday, the only real noise so far was caused by his younger brother, Jack, who said during the NHL media summit in Las Vegas two weeks ago that, of course, heâ€d love to play with Quinn.

“We didnâ€t even talk after he said that,†Hughes smiled. “The noise hasnâ€t been much. I don’t really think that that will be the noise (around the team). I think the noise will be if we lose three in a row, or we lose the first two games of the season. We’re going to have to remain mentally strong. For myself, I’m going to have to remain mentally strong. I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself and putting a lot of pressure on this team to have the year I think we can have.â€

ICE CHIPS – Vancouver plays its second of six pre-season games Wednesday in Abbotsford, B.C., against the Calgary Flames, icing another young lineup that will include three centres trying to push their way up the NHL from the Canucks†AHL championship team, as well as the organizationâ€s three best defence prospects: Elias Pettersson (Junior), Victor Mancini and Tom Willander. Defencemen Tyler Myers and Marcus Pettersson are the key veterans, but the playing group that practised Tuesday also included starting goalie Thatcher Demko. . . Winger Conor Garland sat out Tuesdayâ€s practices. Foote called it precautionary, part of planning for an Olympic season that has condensed the NHL schedule, and said Garland would be playing if it was the season-opener. . . The Canucks†second practice group Tuesday featured what could be the first-unit power play: Hughes at the point, with Boeser in the bumper and Jake DeBrusk at the netfront, centre Elias Pettersson making plays on from his off-wing and newcomer Evander Kane skating downhill from the left flank. This practice group is expected to provide the bulk of the lineup for Fridayâ€s game against the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Arena.

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The USA’s Noah Lyles wins his fourth 200m gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

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