Canucks: How Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes grows game to match the elite

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“The company you keep is the success you reap.”

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You won’t find that motivational phrase amid messages emblazoned in the Vancouver Canucks’ locker room at Rogers Arena.

However, for captain Quinn Hughes, who earned 172 of 194 first-place votes as a unanimous first-time recipient of the Norris Trophy in June, an ongoing quest to excel is a product of a devotion to improving and understanding where the performance bar for NHL longevity is set.

Hughes, who turns 25 next month, led all defencemen in 2023-24 with career highs for goals (17), assists (75) and points (92) in his fifth season.

“I’m just as good as anyone. But if you’re really an elite defenceman, you have to be competing and at least be in the playoffs,” Hughes once told Postmedia of his definition of success. “I don’t think this is the peak for me at all.”

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It’s why Hughes spent the summer adding to his offensive arsenal. Last season, he used a creative juke move at the blue-line to freeze a forward, dart down low to the left faceoff circle and then pick the far high side with a wrist shot that packed velocity and accuracy.

This season, he wants to go one better to hit and possibly surpass the 20-goal plateau.

“Not only coming down on my forehand, being comfortable on the backhand on the other side and I’ve worked on that,” said Hughes. “I should be able to see more of that. I’m going to continue to work on my scoring. We have a really good team and a good power play and I know I’m going to get the looks.

“It’s just about capitalizing.”

It’s also why Hughes will reference 2024 Norris Trophy finalists Roman Josi and Cale Makar — they captured the award in 2020 and 2022 respectfully — for what they’ve accomplished and their consistency. At age 34, Josi had 85 points last season (23-62) to finish third among defenders, and in 13 seasons with the Nashville Predators, his value was evident with 96 points (23-73) in 2021-22 to lead all blueliners.

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“He was able to skate with us in Michigan in the summer and I was able to pick his brain,” said Hughes. “He has been one of the best players of his generation.”

Makar, 25, has been the constant measuring stick for Hughes. He had 28 goals in his third season with Colorado and a career-best 90 points last season (21-69) were just two shy of Hughes. It’s why the what-if game was played had the Avalanche not selected the Calgary native fourth overall in 2017. He might have been sitting there for the Canucks, who chose Elias Pettersson with the next pick.

“My goal isn’t the Norris, it’s the process,” stressed Hughes. “If I’m competing and attacking the way I want every game, good things will happen. Consistency is the sign of a great player. Makar has been up for the Norris four of the last five years and that’s consistency.”

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What makes Makar effective as an offensive force and dutiful defender, is how he excels when it really matters. He has 80 points (21-59) in 72 playoff games and won a Stanley Cup in 2022 in which he piled up 29 points (8-21) in 20 games. That’s where Hughes wants to go because personal achievements matter more when a team is victorious.

“It was my first time in the playoffs and understanding what that’s like and how I’m going to be able to create,” said Hughes, who had 10 assists in 13 post-season games last spring. “Not more, but just capitalize on the chances. I didn’t hate my game, I liked it, but it would have been nice to score a goal or change direction of game when needed.”

There was also the physical side of added attention. In the opening playoff round against the Predators, he was often double-teamed as he tried to trigger the transition. He was targeted, pounded and sandwiched, but better for the experience of knowing what to expect and rebounding to make a difference.

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“You saw the same thing with Josi,” suggested Hughes. “It was tough for him in the playoffs. It was tough for everyone. You get to a point where teams know what you’re going to do, but I’m going to do things to be successful.”

In a 13-second span of vulnerability during a Game 4 overtime win at Nashville, Hughes was hit hard and then caught between two forecheckers for a double dose of playoff pain. He went to the bench doubled over in discomfort. He then returned to make a pivotal late-game play to send the struggle into the extra session, where the Canucks prevailed 4-3.

Hughes logged 11:06 off his 24:09 of ice time in the final frenetic period. His offensive-zone awareness led to Brock Boeser’s third goal of the night and tying effort with 6.2 seconds remaining with goalie Artus Silovs pulled for the second time for an extra attacker.

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Hughes hustled to keep the puck in at the point and sent Gustav Nyquist sprawling with a magnificent move to keep the puck alive and start the pivotal scoring sequence.

“I played 98 games last year and didn’t miss a game,” Hughes said of his durability and suck-it-up mantra. “I have the format of how I can be successful, how I have to sleep and eat and train. I have that blueprint to build on my game.”
bkuzma@postmedia.com

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