History of Quinn Hughes in Timeline

Quinn Hughes is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and captain of the Vancouver Canucks. Drafted seventh overall in 2018, he quickly established himself as an offensively skilled defenseman. He was a Calder Memorial Trophy nominee in 2020 for best rookie. Hughes holds multiple franchise and NHL records for defensemen. In 2024, he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1985: Tied NHL Record

After collecting his 18th point on February 13 against the Calgary Flames, in 2021 Hughes tied the NHL record for fourth-most points by an NHL defenseman in the first 18 games of a season since 1985-86.

1992: Mother wins silver medal

In 1992, Hughes' mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, won a silver medal at the World Championship playing for the United States women's national ice hockey team.

1997: Last Canucks All-Rookie Team Defenseman

In 1997, before Hughes' recent accomplishment, Mattias Öhlund was the last Canucks defenseman to be named to the All-Rookie Team.

1997: Teammates Reach 40 Points

In December 2023, Hughes joined Miller and Pettersson as the third trio of teammates to reach 40 points in their teams' first 33 games since 1997.

October 14, 1999: Quinn Hughes Born

On October 14, 1999, Quinn Hughes, an American professional ice hockey defenseman, was born.

2006: Family Moved to Toronto

In 2006, Quinn Hughes' family moved to Toronto due to his father's job with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

2012: Mother inducted into Hall of Fame

In 2012, Hughes' mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, was inducted into the University of New Hampshire Athletics Hall of Fame.

January 2015: Committed to Michigan

In January 2015, Quinn Hughes made a verbal commitment to play NCAA hockey at the University of Michigan for their 2017-18 season.

2015: Named to United States Team

In 2015, Hughes was named to the United States team for the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.

2016: USHL Season

During the 2016-17 season, Hughes scored four goals and 22 assists in 26 games, making him the first defenseman in USHL history to post such high points-per-game ratio two seasons before his NHL draft eligibility.

2017: University of Michigan Start

In 2017 Quinn Hughes prepared to start his college career at the University of Michigan

2017: Wins Gold Medal

In 2017, Hughes played at the 2017 IIHF World U18 Championships, helping the U.S. Under-18 World Championship team win a gold medal in Slovakia.

2017: Started at University of Michigan

In 2017, Quinn Hughes began playing for the Michigan Wolverines at the University of Michigan.

2017: Joined University of Michigan

In 2017, Quinn Hughes joined the University of Michigan and set a new record for most assists by a Michigan freshman defenseman.

2017: Brothers Compete

In 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Hughes and his brother Jack became only the third pair of brothers to compete for the United States at a World Juniors tournament, with the most recent pairing being Joey and Michael Anderson in 2017.

December 24, 2018: Named Alternate Captain

On December 24, 2018, Hughes, along with Michigan teammate Josh Norris, were named alternate captains for the United States at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

2018: USNTDP Record

As of 2018, Hughes is in fifth place for the USNTDP record for most points by a defenseman with 77.

2018: Competes at World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

In 2018, Hughes was named to the U20 U.S. national junior team to compete at the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Buffalo, New York, helping his team win bronze.

2018: World Junior Championship and IIHF Debut

In 2018, Quinn Hughes represented the United States at the World Junior Championships and made his senior national team debut at the IIHF World Championship, where he helped them win bronze.

2018: Drafted by the Canucks

In 2018, Quinn Hughes was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round, seventh overall, and decided to return to Michigan for his sophomore year.

2018: Drafted by Vancouver Canucks

In 2018, Quinn Hughes was drafted seventh overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL entry draft.

2018: Joins senior United States roster

In 2018, following the conclusion of his freshman season at Michigan, Hughes was the youngest player named to the senior United States roster to compete at the 2018 IIHF World Championship.

2018: Finished Season with the Wolverines

Quinn Hughes finished the 2018 season with the Wolverines.

March 8, 2019: Foot Injury

On March 8, 2019, Quinn Hughes suffered a foot injury in a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.

March 10, 2019: Signed with Canucks

On March 10, 2019, Quinn Hughes signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks after ending his collegiate career.

March 28, 2019: NHL Debut

On March 28, 2019, Quinn Hughes made his NHL debut against the Los Angeles Kings, recording his first career NHL point with an assist.

November 1, 2019: Knee Injury

On November 1, 2019, Quinn Hughes bruised his left knee in a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

2019: Named to United States' Roster

After the Vancouver Canucks season ended, Hughes was one of 17 players named to the United States' roster for the 2019 IIHF World Championship.

2019: World Junior Ice Hockey Championships

During his sophomore season at Michigan, Hughes competed at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, alongside his brother Jack.

2019: World Junior Championship

In 2019, Quinn Hughes represented the United States at the World Junior Championships.

2019: Brother Drafted to NHL

In 2019, Quinn Hughes' younger brother, Jack, was drafted first overall by the New Jersey Devils in the NHL entry draft.

2019: Brother drafted

In the 2019 NHL entry draft, Hughes' brother Jack was drafted first overall.

2019: Continued Record-Breaking Season

Quinn Hughes continued his record-breaking season with the Canucks during 2019.

2019: Continued Playing for Michigan

Quinn Hughes continued to play for the Michigan Wolverines at the University of Michigan in 2019.

August 6, 2020: Multi-Point Playoff Game

On August 6, 2020, Quinn Hughes recorded his first multi-point playoff game, becoming the sixth youngest defenseman to record a three-assist playoff game and the youngest in team history.

2020: Season Postponed

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season was pushed back until January 13, 2021, for a 56-game regular season.

2020: All-Star Game

In 2020 Quinn Hughes was voted into the NHL All-Star Game, becoming the sixth fastest defensemen in NHL history to reach 30 assists in 49 games or less.

2020: Calder Memorial Trophy Nomination

In 2020, Quinn Hughes was nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best rookie.

2020: Playoffs during Hughes' Rookie Season

In his first season as captain, the Canucks finished first in the Pacific Division and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since participating in the expanded 2020 playoffs during Hughes' rookie season.

January 13, 2021: Delayed Season Start

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 season was pushed back until January 13, 2021, for a 56-game regular season.

April 21, 2021: Return to the Ice

On April 21, 2021, Quinn Hughes returned to the ice after recovering from COVID-19, collecting three points in a 6-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

October 1, 2021: Signs Contract

On October 1, 2021, Hughes signed a six-year, $47.1 million contract with the Canucks after missing most of training camp and preseason games.

2021: Brother Drafted to NHL

In 2021, Quinn Hughes' youngest brother, Luke, was drafted fourth overall by the New Jersey Devils in the NHL entry draft.

2021: Brother drafted by Devils

In the 2021 NHL entry draft, Hughes' brother Luke was drafted 4th overall by the Devils.

January 21, 2022: Reaches 30 Assists

On January 21, 2022, Hughes collected his 30th assist in his 39th game of the season, becoming the second fastest Canucks defenseman to reach 30 assists in a season.

2022: Wished to score more

Leading up to the start of the 2022 season, Hughes admitted he wished to score more and develop a shoot-first mentality.

March 4, 2023: Reaches 200 Assist Milestone

On March 4, 2023, Hughes tallied two assists in the Canucks 4–1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs to become the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach the 200-assist milestone.

2023: Named Canucks Captain

Before the start of the 2023-24 season, Hughes was named the 15th captain in Canucks history, making him both the youngest active captain in the NHL and the first American-born captain of the Canucks.

November 5, 2024: Reaches 300 Assist Milestone

On November 5, 2024, Hughes tallied three assists during a 5–1 win over the Anaheim Ducks, becoming the third-fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach the 300-assist milestone.

2024: Wins Norris Trophy

In 2024, Hughes finished the regular season with 92 points, which led the league for defensemen, Hughes won the Norris Trophy, becoming the first Canucks player in franchise history to do so.

2024: James Norris Memorial Trophy

In 2024, Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman.