“As I get going here and feel more comfortable and get my legs under me, this is going to be exciting,” Hughes stated upon his arrival.
And exciting it truly proved to be.
The Wild were already on an upward trajectory after an impressive 11-1-2 record in November. However, the blockbuster trade in mid-December, bringing Hughes from Vancouver, ignited even greater excitement across the Minnesota fanbase and within the Wild’s dressing room.
“When Quinn came in, we got a little bit more swagger, and we’re building on it,” commented goaltender Filip Gustavsson after an overtime victory against Montreal on February 2.
Hughes’ statistics speak volumes, and in less than a full season, he has already carved out a significant place in the Minnesota Wild franchise record book.
His assist during the third period of the April 2 game against his former team—a match that officially clinched the Wild’s playoff spot—marked his 46th assist in just 43 games with the Wild this season. This achievement set a new franchise record for assists in a single season by a defenseman, surpassing Ryan Suter’s previous high of 45 assists in 78 games during the 2017-18 season. In the same game, Hughes also reached 50 points (4 goals, 46 assists) with the Wild, becoming the fastest player in franchise history to reach that milestone.
Since joining Minnesota, Hughes has been among the league’s top players in terms of assists. He is also just one point away from setting the franchise record for the most points by a defenseman in a single season.
“I think that it’s not easy being traded, especially when you’ve been somewhere for so long,” Hughes remarked ahead of the April 2 game against Vancouver. “But I felt like in January I was playing as good as I can. Felt like I played as good as I can at the Olympics.”
Following the Olympic break, Hughes and his younger brother, Jack—a New Jersey Devils forward and scorer of Team USA’s gold-medal-winning goal at the Olympics—experienced a whirlwind of hockey commitments and media appearances, including a spot on Saturday Night Live.
Before his recent encounter with his old team, Hughes spoke about his experience in Minnesota, expressing his enjoyment of being around his teammates and the coaching staff.
“I felt the month of January was really good for me to kind of get acclimated and obviously everything that happened in February was unbelievable,” Hughes shared. “But you get acclimated, then you leave and then you’re trying to get reacclimated.
“But really enjoying it. Obviously looking forward to play playoff hockey here.”