Vancouver Canucks captain Hughes explains what really happened with 4 Nations drama
Quinn Hughes summed it up best when he revealed what really happened to him during the 4 Nations in February.
“That was a circus.”
Back in February, there was a bizarre turn of events regarding Hughes’ availability for the tournament. Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said Hughes was coming. But he never showed up.
Some reports suggested that he wasn’t medically cleared. Others, perhaps, thought the Canucks might have blocked him from going.
For the first time, Hughes explained what really happened during an appearance on the 32 Thoughts podcast.
“It was frustrating because I tore a ligament in my hand in December, and I played with a cast in January,” Hughes told hosts Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas. “The cast was amazing. I was able to play with that, and I was playing really well.”
Even though the Canucks meandered through January with a 6-7-2 record, Hughes was electric. He scored six times and posted 17 points in 13 games, all while visibly wearing a brace.
“Then I got elbowed by [Evgenii] Dadonov against [the Dallas Stars on Jan. 31],” Hughes said. “I thought I got the wind knocked out of me. We got the MRI and had the oblique tear.”
Hughes would miss the next four games before the 4 Nations break and was forced to pull out of the tournament on Feb. 9.
That’s when the real drama began.
“Charlie [McAvoy] got hurt… so [the Team USA staff] were like ‘hey, do you wanna come play?'”
“I’m like, of course I’ll play, but I haven’t been on the ice for like 20 days. And [Jim Rutherford] was like ‘I don’t think you’re gonna be able to play in that intensity.'”
But Hughes still wanted to go.
However, the NHL’s injury rules regarding the 4 Nations tournament meant he wouldn’t have been able to play anyway.
Hughes was asked by Friedman about a rumour that the Canucks didn’t want him to play in the tournament.
“I mean, I don’t think they did want me to play, just because they wanted me to be fresh, and they knew I wasn’t 100%,” Hughes said. “So, I mean, I can’t really blame them for that.”
Friedman then asked point-blank if the Canucks blocked him from attending.
“No, no, they didn’t block me,” Hughes said. “That’s the truth. Jim and Patrik [Allvin] were very respectful.”
Hughes then spent part of this summer lamenting the fact that he didn’t attend the tournament.
“An opportunity to play with Jack, an opportunity to play with Brady and Matthew [Tkachuk], [Dylan Larkin], one of my closest friends, and then Charlie [McAvoy], and all these other great players… I wanted to play, but I didn’t want to show up and not be able to play, or after Game 1 be like, ‘Oh, I’ve made a mistake.’ Now I’ve gotta call up Jim Rutherford and be like ‘Hey, I might have to miss a couple of weeks.'”
“It’s frustrating in hindsight because we ended up missing the playoffs, so in the summer, you’re like, damn, I missed a cool experience there, but I still don’t think I’d change a thing.”
As long as he stays healthy, Hughes will get the opportunity to represent his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.