Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was quite open today when speaking with reporters about the apparent rift in his team’s dressing room.
There has been speculation for some time that star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson have a rocky relationship. Those talks have been amplified after former Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau admitted that he knew there were problems between the two before joining the team partway through the 2021-22 season.
The players have been relatively quiet when speaking with reporters about the possible tension. Still, Hughes took a different approach this morning, which seems to resonate quite well with fans.
“I think that it’s been a lot of learning from everybody in here. Not to beat around the bush, everybody knows what the reports are out there,” Hughes said. “Everyone expects a lot from each other. There’s times where I get upset with Millsy, there’s times I get upset with Petey, there’s times I get upset with [Filip] Hronek. That doesn’t mean that I don’t love those guys and vice versa.”
“I have a lot of faith and trust in this group…Got to keep going and find the game we want to play.”
🗣 Hear from Canucks Captain Quinn Hughes ahead of tonight’s game against the Senators.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/gBm9EibQHS
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 21, 2024
Hughes didn’t deny the potential rift between the two stars but suggested that it isn’t anything unusual in an NHL locker room. He made it clear that he believes it won’t impact the success this team is capable of having this season.
“One hundred percent, I believe it’s workable. I know it’s workable,” Hughes said. “We saw it last year very evidently. I think both of them have been going through their own struggles this year. I believe in both of them. I think they’re great players and great people. There’s times where we all get into it, but it’s a family in here.”
Head coach Rick Tocchet was also asked about the relationship between the two, saying at the end of the day, all that matters is that both continue to give it their all for the organization.
“It’s all about the crest. As long as I coach, it’s always about the crest,” Tocchet said. “It’s not about the name on the back. You’re going to have arguments, you’re going to have fights… it’s my job to make sure guys have a voice, and you move on from that sort of stuff.”
The Canucks have gotten off to a mediocre 16-10-6 start this season, in part due to Pettersson’s struggles. The 26-year-old has found the back of the net just eight times so far. Miller, who missed a stretch of play due to a personal matter recently, also hasn’t been at his best, with 19 points through 22 outings.
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