VANCOUVER — Quinn Hughes is set to miss a second straight game when his Vancouver Canucks host the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old American defenceman briefly skated with his teammates Tuesday morning, then spoke with head coach Rick Tocchet and left the ice.
“He's not going to play tonight," Tocchet said after morning skate. "He wants to gut everything out, but it's the right move.”
The team will monitor Hughes' status day to day, the coach added.
"I've seen with guys things linger, I've seen some guys after 24 hours, and things help," he said. "So we'll see how it goes.”
Following Tuesday's contest, the Canucks (23-18-11) visit the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
Hughes also missed Vancouver's 3-2 overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday. Derek Forbort took his spot on the top defensive pair alongside Filip Hronek.
Hughes suffered an undisclosed injury in the Canucks' 5-3 road loss to the Dallas Stars on Friday.
The reigning Norris Trophy winner as the league's top blueliner leads all NHL defenceman in points with 14 goals and 45 assists across 47 appearances this season. He also leads the Canucks in points.
“He's a special player," said Vancouver defenceman Tyler Myers. "The way he controls the puck, the way he skates and his escapability on the ice — it opens things up for other guys each and every shift."
Vancouver has dealt with a series of absences this season, Myers added, and the team has talked a lot about what each player needs to do to fill the voids.
"Obviously, being the player that (Hughes) is, it's a big loss," he said. "But sometimes just focusing on doing your job and not trying to do more or force anything more is all you have to do. And guys have done a really good job all year stepping up, and we're going to have to do the same thing this week."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 4, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
