- Quinn Hughes says “something could happen soon” on a new contract with the Wild
- He returns to Vancouver on Sunday and doesn’t know how fans will treat him
- Read below for his full media availability video and what Brock Boeser said
Quinn Hughes isn’t sure a new contract is far off.
The Wild defenseman talked about his contract situation Saturday in Seattle and said he “wouldn’t be surprised if something happens soon.” He’s in the final season of a six-year, $47.1 million deal and has been eligible to sign an extension with Minnesota since July 1.
Hughes was asked about the negotiations and kept it relaxed.
“I’m really enjoying it right now and just taking my time, and we’ll see where it goes.”
He added that his “two feet are planted here in Minnesota” and called the Wild “a great team” with a real shot at winning this year. Watch his full media availability:
The bigger topic was Sunday night. Hughes plays his first game at Rogers Arena since the Dec. 12, 2025 trade that sent him from Vancouver to Minnesota, and he was upfront that he has no idea what to expect.
“Whether I’m booed or whatnot, that won’t change how I feel about that place and how grateful I am for the experiences I’ve had there.”
Hughes was Canucks captain from Sept. 2023 until the trade and won the Norris Trophy in 2023-24. His 432 points in 459 games make him the franchise’s all-time leading scorer among defensemen. He likened playing in Vancouver to playing for the Yankees, since the Canucks are the only major team in town.
He also watched how his friend Brady Tkachuk got treated when he went back to Ottawa. Fans booed and chanted at the Panthers captain all night in Wednesday’s 5-1 Senators win, which we covered in our Tkachuk return preview.
Hughes was asked about it and stayed diplomatic. He said Tkachuk “gave it his all” and handled the situation well. “That’s the beautiful part about being in a Canadian market,” Hughes said. “The passion and what it means to the people.”
Canucks forward Brock Boeser hopes Vancouver goes a different way. He told reporters he thinks Hughes deserves a good welcome back and a tribute, because “he gave it his all every time he was in a Canucks uniform.”
Another Wild reporter shared the same contract answer on X shortly after the availability:
Hughes has 13 points in 11 games this season and 66 points in 59 games since joining Minnesota. The trade talk around him has been loud, as we noted in our Hughes trade story, but his own words Saturday sound like a player who wants to stay.
Puck drop in Vancouver is set for 10 p.m. ET on Sunday.
