Photos by Dan Toulgoet (Vancouver Courier) & Richard A. Whittaker (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
I remember the first time I noticed Quinn Hughes would be something special. It was his first NHL assist against the Los Angeles Kings. Hughes comes in off the rush. He stops behind the net occupied by Jonathan Quick, banks the puck off the back of the net end boards to himself and comes out in front, and he rips it on net. A juicy rebound comes available and Brock Boeser pounces like any neighbourhood cat would and scores as he’s falling to the ice.
And that’s how Quinn Hughes got his first NHL assist.
Before suiting up for the Canucks, Quinn Hughes played his college hockey career with the Michigan Wolverines. Following his sophomore season, Hughes signed a 3 year entry level contract with your Vancouver Canucks. In his first year in the league, he has shown that his smooth skating and first pass out of his own zone make him hard to handle. The NHL’s trophy for best rookie is called the Calder Memorial Trophy, named after Frank Calder who was the first president of the NHL. The Calder trophy is given out to that special player in the first campaign in the NHL. It serves as the rookie of the year award. This great trophy has been given out since it was created for the 1936-37 season.
The last winner of the Calder was Elias Pettersson of your Vancouver Canucks. The race for the trophy this year has been like when Seabiscuit beat War Admiral -- neck and neck. It’s been pretty exciting and I’ll tell you why.
In 57 games played, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche had 12 goals and had 38 assists for 50 points. Quinn Hughes played in 68 contests for the Vancouver Canucks and contributed 12 goals and dished out 45 helpers for 53 points. Something that caught my eye was when Hughes and Makar played against each other this past season. Both general managers Jim Benning of the Canucks and Joe Sakic of the Avalanche had high praise for the two. Canucks GM Jim Benning said, “Every time those guys get the puck, there’s a chance they do something really exciting with it. I think there’s a misconception about Hughes and how good he is defensively. We play him against other teams top lines every night and he holds his own, and because he’s such a great skater, he shuts down some of the best in the league.”
Joe Sakic, the Avalanche GM added, “You see what these two players are doing for each club – as a fan of the game, these are two guys that you pay money to come see. Makar has been unbelievable."
"Obviously everybody sees what he can do with the puck, but away from the puck, he’s a very competitive guy in the defensive zone."
Personally, I think the smooth skating of Quinn Hughes gives him an upper hand the way he coasts out of his own zone in a flash. The way an energetic fox chases after mice in the forest. Voting for the Calder Trophy is put forward by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association immediately following the end the regular campaign to resolve the recipient. With the season currently on hold, the suspense remains – who will end up winning the Calder?
3 Comments
Amber
4/16/2020 06:22:53 pm
Great article!
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Peter
4/25/2020 03:09:17 pm
Bob, this is great analysis! Keep it up as you’re filling a much needed lack of hockey in my life!
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Jessica
4/27/2020 08:24:44 pm
Well done, Bob! I enjoyed reading your blog post. Keep up the good work!
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About Bob Shanks
I am the Canucks Autism Network's Top Fundraiser, having raised over $200,000 since I began in 2012. |