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Quinn Hughes latest NHL player to get harsh reception from former team
Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Quinn Hughes latest NHL player to get harsh reception from former team

By Adam Gretz  |  Last updated Oct 25, 2026 11:11 PM ET
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Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes made his first return to Vancouver on Sunday night as a visiting player, and, as has become a trend around the NHL this season, he did not get a warm reception from the Vancouver Canucks fans who spent six-and-a-half seasons cheering for him.

Given the circumstances, it is not surprising.

Quinn Hughes latest NHL player to get chilly reception in return to former team

The Canucks traded Hughes to the Wild halfway through the 2025-26 season after it had become painfully obvious that he was not going to re-sign with the team at the end of his contract (which expires after this season). With the Canucks just starting a rebuild, it made sense to move him as soon as possible to extract as much value as possible in a deal.

Vancouver ended up receiving a package of players and draft picks that included center Marco Rossi, defenseman Zeev Buium, forward prospect Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round pick.

There is a lot of upside in that package of players, but Hughes is clearly the best player involved in the trade, and losing him had to be a bitter pill for Canucks fans. Even though he only spent six-and-a-half seasons there, he had already established himself as one of the best players in the NHL and one of the best players that ever played for the team.

But he didn't want to stay, continuing a developing trend that has seen star players force their way off losing teams, while under contract, to try and get into a more favorable situation for winning. It has been an especially big problem for some Canadian teams as players try to get their way onto American teams. 

The result: Boos. Creative chants. And a Roman Coliseum-type environment that loudly cheered when he was dumped to the ice with a big hit on his first shift.

The fans then seemingly turned their attention toward the Wild organization and general manager Bill Guerin with a chant of "he's not signing."

It has been assumed for some time now that Hughes is eventually going to join his brothers, forward Jack Hughes and defenseman Luke Hughes, with the New Jersey Devils in free agency. That is one of the big reasons behind the Canucks decision to trade him when they did. 

The Wild have been hopeful that after getting him into the building and hopefully finding success, they could convince him to stay and sign a new long-term contract. So far, he has not, even if he has said all of the right things about being open to it and having talks. 

The reaction in Vancouver comes just after the Ottawa Senators fans gave former forward Brady Tkachuk an especially harsh (and well-deserved) reception after he forced his way out of Ottawa to join the Florida Panthers, and his brother, Matthew Tkachuk. 

That came after the Columbus Blue Jackets fans had a similar reaction to forward Kirill Marchenko after he made it clear he would not be re-signing with the team, prompting his preseason trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin also received a harsh reception from his own fans following his offseason trade request that has yet to be granted. When it is, and he eventually returns, the response will likely be worse.

There is also another one that could top all of these in early November when former Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck makes his first visit following his trade to the New Jersey Devils. 

More than 60% of the players in the NHL have some sort of no-trade protection or no-movement clause in their contracts, limiting the options teams have with them. When those players start requesting trades and then limit where they can go, it creates a lot of bad feelings with the fan base that feels abandoned. Especially in the case of players like Hughes, Larkin, Tkachuk and Marchenko, they never actually helped the team win anything.

Emotions are high in those situations. The fans are voicing their opinions. 

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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