Canucks will be a comfortable family, not a dictatorship, says new captain Quinn Hughes
Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes says he sees himself as the type of leader who wants to build a family atmosphere on the team where everybody feels welcome.
“It's definitely not a dictatorship,” he said Sunday as the NHL team completed its training camp and started pre-season exhibition games ahead of its Oct. 11 season opener against the visiting Edmonton Oilers.
“There's going to be lots of guys speaking up or have different roles and feel comfortable doing that, and that's how it should be,” he said.
Hughes, 23, was named Canucks captain earlier this month, succeeding former captain Bo Horvat who was traded to the New York Islanders last season.
The smooth-skating defenceman said collaboration and openness will be the hallmarks of his leadership style.
“I want everyone to have a voice and I want it to be a family,” Hughes said. “When I know that one of the younger guys says something in the room, that's when I know we've kind of turned it into a family.”
Hughes said he understands at training camp and early in the season some younger players are nervous and would rather not speak up.
“I was that guy,” he said. “I want guys to feel comfortable who they are. I don't care if you're a young guy, first year guy or just first camp. I mean don't be obnoxious, but be yourself and feel comfortable with yourself. That's the big thing with me.”
Hughes said being named captain will also be a personal learning experience as he progresses in his hockey career.
“I'll just keep learning, learning how to deal with the role, how to handle my teammates and enjoy it and have fun with it,” he said. “Not only with the captaincy, but my own game. I always feel like I'm growing. It's a big part of why I keep getting better.”
The off-season arrivals of defencemen Ian Cole from Tampa Bay, Matt Irwin from Washington and Carson Soucy from Seattle and last year's late season acquisition of Filip Hronek from Detroit adds veteran presence and experience to the Canucks blueline, Hughes said.
Cole and Soucy also bring playoff experience to the team, he said.
Hughes said he's looking forward to this season after last year, when the Canucks finished out of the playoffs in sixth place in the Pacific Division.
“Guys are excited to play,” he said. “We need guys who are really competitive, want to win and hate losing.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator
A $2.14-billion federal loan for an Ottawa-based satellite operator has Canadian politicians arguing about whether American billionaire Elon Musk poses a national security risk.
Sunken superyacht believed to contain watertight safes with sensitive intelligence data
Specialist divers surveying the wreckage of the US$40 million superyacht that sank off Sicily in August, killing seven people including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, have asked for heightened security to guard the vessel, over concerns that sensitive data locked in its safes may interest foreign governments, multiple sources told CNN.
Myths busted and lessons learned: John Vennavally-Rao on his surgery to reverse his ostomy
Twenty-seven year CTV News reporter and anchor John Vennavally-Rao shares his story of what it was like to have an ostomy bag as part of his health-care battle. 'I’m grateful for what it did to extend my life,' he writes in a personal column for CTVNews.ca.
B.C. election campaign officially underway
The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.
Northern Ont. man fined for hunting bull moose without a licence after trying to cover it up
A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.
Heavy metal exposure could increase cardiovascular disease risk, study finds
A new study is adding to emerging research showing that exposure to metals such as cadmium, uranium and copper may also be associated with the leading cause of death worldwide, cardiovascular disease.
Operation to remove Nearly 1,000 tires from the Saint Lawrence River
Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.
Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel early Sunday following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders as well as women and children.
Rescuers free entangled sea lion off Vancouver Island
A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.