Vancouver analyst decodes Quinn Hughes' distant attitude with media amid ramping rumors - "They are terrified of the noise"

Quinn Hughes’ short and distant media sessions this season have sparked new discussion in Vancouver. The Canucks have struggled early in the 2025-26 season. And Hughes has kept many of his answers brief, even with the team’s own reporters.

Analyst Rob Williams suggested this might be intentional, since the Canucks want to limit distractions after several noisy seasons.

"I think he's been pretty short with the media, even the teams, the team reporter, he kind of keeps his answers relatively short," Williams said. "I do wonder if it's by design."

The Canucks' 8-9-1 record places them seventh in the Pacific Division. Scoring issues and the league’s lowest-ranked penalty kill have slowed progress. Vancouver has dropped games to Colorado, Winnipeg, and Chicago, while beating Columbus, Nashville, and St. Louis.

After the 2023-24 season’s playoff appearance, the team is still searching for stability. Last season, the public rift between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller impacted the team's performance. So, they have learnt from it.

According to Williams, they want to give the media less to work with and control the narrative.

"I think if you look at how Adam Foote has carried himself as well, I think the game plan going into this season is, don't give the media much to talk about, right?," Williams said. "Just don't give them much because they don't want the noise. "You know, they're terrified of the noise because of what's happened in the last couple of seasons, much of it created by themselves. I might add, in terms of the noise. But I think that, I think it's probably a bit of a strategy, because Quinn used to be, you know, go into more detail when, when speaking."

Quinn Hughes' impact on Canucks and his injury recovery

Quinn Hughes' quiet approach has not affected his play. In his third season as captain, he continues to drive the Canucks' offense and defense. His skating and puck control remain central to Vancouver’s offense (one goal and 12 assists).

Hughes recently recorded a four-game point streak, scoring six points in that span, all assists. It shows Hughes' continued production despite the team’s inconsistency. Additionally, he leads the defense in both minutes (27:00) and impact.

Hughes is also dealing with a minor injury. According to Canucks' coach he is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and may miss Friday’s game in Carolina.

"Quinn's day to day, you know. So, I'm hopeful, we will see." Foote said.

If Quinn Hughes sits out, Pierre-Olivier Joseph is expected to enter the lineup. Defenseman Elias Pettersson would likely take on more minutes.

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Edited by Ankit Kumar