“I’m never going to be the loudest person in the room,” Hughes said. “I will be a person who is expected to be a leader through his work ethic and in the games, and as time goes by I will learn more about myself and being a leader and I feel the real confidence to walk into it. because of the coaching staff and the management that I’m with and the people behind me.
“It’s just the beginning for me but I hope to obviously be a good leader. I think I can be.”
Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said the decision to make Hughes captain came after discussions with coach Rick Tocchet, president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford and chairman Francesco Aquilini.
“This is an important milestone here for the team that marks a change in leadership and the identity of the team,” Allvin said. “It’s not just a reflection of Quinn’s incredible talent on the ice. It’s also a reflection of him off the ice and his leadership qualities.”
Hughes, the older brother of New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes and defenseman Luke Hughes, will enter the third season of a six-year contract he signed on October 3, 2021.
“I had great teachers in (Brandon) Tanev, Luke Schenn and (Jacob) Markstrom, and now I’m still learning from [J.T. Miller] and [Tyler Myers],” Hughes said. “Even guys my age, Brock (Boeser), Elias (Petterson) and (Thatcher) Demko. I’m always learning from guys and taking things from what they do to try and incorporate that into how I lead, and hopefully I’ll do the same for them.
“We just have to keep pushing each other. Everyone has something to prove this year, we just have to remember that fact through training camp to stay hungry and we have to be ready to go. “
The Canucks were 38-37-7 last season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season and seventh time in the past eight. They were 20-12-4 after Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau as coach on January 22.
“What impressed me about Hughes was last year when I arrived, his love for the game, how his teammates were, he mixed everything together,” Tocchet said. “I think that as a captain, you get along with everybody. He says some uncomfortable things that he has to say when something goes wrong, or when he has to put himself out there. That’s why I like I’m very much in this leadership. . They’re not afraid to say something to me. That’s important to me in making that decision.”