Don’t let that boyish look fool you.
Aside from the obvious with multi-talented defenceman Quinn Hughes — sublime edge work to spin away from frustrated forecheckers, laser-like passes to trigger the transition and orchestrating the power play like a conductor — there’s also a growing and noticeable maturity.
It speaks of captain material.
Hughes is the product of a rich family sporting lineage and his respect, dedication and professionalism are building blocks in what is already a remarkable record-setting career with the Vancouver Canucks.
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When Hughes, 23, and Elias Pettersson, 24, were promoted to the leadership group following the All-Star Game and donned an ‘A’ as alternate captains, along with J.T. Miller, 30, it was a sign of changing times.
Captain Bo Horvat had been traded and the consensus was to allow Hughes and Pettersson to methodically grow into their new roles and see who might eventually blossom to wear the ‘C’ next season.
That process has been sped up.
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Hughes was always an engaging interview with frankness and vast knowledge of the game. It was more evident when he became an alternate and taking his energy and enthusiasm to another level hasn’t gone unnoticed — especially by the coach.
“For me, there are the assists and what he has been doing, but he’s a terrific leader,” Rick Tocchet said following a two-helper effort by Hughes on Sunday that elevated the blueliner to the 60-assist level for the second-consecutive season.
“I’ve been here seven weeks and he has been one of our best when it comes to being vocal. I haven’t really seen a bad game out of him. He’s very consistent. Obviously, the assists are great and his breakouts are incredible.
“That’s why (Paul) Coffey, (Scott) Niedermayer and (Ray) Bourque are great breakout guys and he (Hughes) is climbing that ladder.”
Bourque had a remarkable run between 1986-87 and 1993-94 where he put up 65, 73, 60, 63 and 71 assists. Coffey went even higher into the assist stratosphere between 1981-82 and 1985-86 with 60, 67, 86, 84 and 90 helpers.
Bourque served as captain of the Boston Bruins for 15 seasons and it’s not unusual to see a defender get that honour. This season, Jared Spurgeon, 33, serves in that capacity with the Minnesota Wild, while Roman Josi, 32, is captain of the Nashville Predators and Jacob Trouba, 29, wears the ‘C’ for the New York Rangers.
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It’s customary to award your best player the captaincy, but it’s not always the best fit.
Markus Naslund was a reluctant captain because he preferred to let his game do the talking as an elite left winger. He would address the media — and often on a daily basis — but there was never a complete comfort factor because you have to be wired a certain way to answer repetitive and taxing queries.
The same could apply for Pettersson.
His play speaks volumes and the glare of the media spotlight isn’t the favourite part of his profession. It’s not a knock. Like many, he’s more comfortable in a one-on-one interview or small scrum.
So, what does this all mean?
Your captain has to be prolific because walking the walk is always going to beat talking the talk. He has to excel on the ice, play hurt, support the bench and be a voice of reason in the room.
Hughes logs a ridiculous amount of ice time with an average of 25:23 minutes that ranks sixth among all defencemen — and he has surpassed the 30-minute mark on four occasions, logging more than 28 minutes in 11 games.
“I want to play as much as I can,” he stressed. “I feel really good. Of course, some minutes are too much, but if I’m playing well — not lazy defensively and pushing offensively — I know I can play them.”
That’s leadership.
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If that isn’t enough, there was one brief but testy shoving match between Hughes and Dakota Joshua that ended a long and draining practice last month on a fitting note.
Hughes got his back up during a two-versus-two scrimmage with the nets in close proximity at the defensive zone. It ramped up the testosterone and Conor Garland stepped in as referee. All in all, it served a purpose.
“For me, I’m trying to be a leader now and I want everyone to get better,” reasoned Hughes. “I need him to be the best he can be. And I need to continue to push myself to get better and push other guys.
“Petey and Millsy need to do that because, right now, we’re not getting enough from everyone and that’s why we’re not in the playoff spot. Everyone is a little edgiernow with the way the season has gone.”
Joshua applauded the Hughes moxie because the fight in the mighty mite forced the big winger to ramp up his game in the mini scrimmage.
“That’s what it’s going to take to make this team better,” said Joshua. “Make sure everybody is pulling on the rope and I loved that and seeing him (Hughes) get fired up like that. We could use more of that every day around here.“
Hughes also got a hockey degree in human behaviour by playing with and soaking up the Luke Schenn tutelage. He became and better person and player from that union.
Captain material.
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