Quinn Hughes on brother Jack’s desire to play together one day: ‘Him being authentic’

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes, front, and his brother New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes, back, vie for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Vancouver, on Sunday Nov. 10, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

LAS VEGAS — Jack Hughes kicked a potential hornet’s nest earlier this week.

The New Jersey Devils centre was asked if he and older brother Quinn — a star defenceman and captain of the Vancouver Canucks — have ever talked about one day playing on the same NHL team.

“This is the headline question,” replied Jack Hughes, who already suits up alongside youngest sibling Luke. “Honestly, I’m not afraid to say it. Yeah, I would love for Quinn to … eventually, I’d love to play with him. And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point, I want to play with Quinn.

“That’s the question going around. They talk all day about it up in Vancouver, you know? But I’d love to play with Quinn at some point.”

That quote set off alarm bells on the West Coast, despite Quinn having two years left on his current contract before potentially hitting unrestricted free agency.

The family’s oldest sibling didn’t take issue with his brother’s comments.

“What’s he supposed to say, first of all? Like, ‘I don’t want to play with him,’ you know?’” Quinn Hughes told a small group of reporters Wednesday at the NHL/NHLPA player media tour’s North American stop. “We have contracts and whatnot. He’s on a different team. Would it be fun to play with those guys at some point? Of course.

“I’m excited to be in Vancouver, and I feel like last year was a little bit of failure. I feel like I’ve got things to do there. And I know Jack loves Jersey, and he’s got stuff to do also.”

So, did big brother asked Jack to pipe down?

“No, I don’t care at all,” replied Quinn, whose club missed the playoffs last spring after finishing with 109 points the previous season. “That’s just him being authentic, and if a fan base can’t understand why he would say that, that makes no sense to me.”

Jack Hughes, 24, is signed with the Devils through 2029-30, while 22-year-old Luke is currently a restricted free agent defenceman in need of a new contract.

Canucks president Jim Rutherford got the ball rolling on the potential three-headed Hughes monster in April when he mused it would be easier to re-sign Quinn if he “brought his brothers here.”

Vancouver will be eligible to ink its captain to a contract extension July 1, 2026.

“Jack wasn’t the first one to bring it up, in fairness to him,” Quinn said Wednesday when asked if he’s surprised there’s so much chatter about his future despite being signed through to the end of the 2026-27 schedule. “I’ve been fortunate to play in Vancouver because of the fans and what a special place it is, and how well you’re taken care of, because they love their hockey so much and care about their hockey.

“It’s normal in a Canadian market.”

Seated in a boardroom at a posh hotel on Sin City’s famed strip, he also touched on a trying 2024-25 campaign dominated by a fractured relationship between star forwards Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller, which eventually led to the latter being traded.

“It’s tough,” he said. “I was proud of myself just because I tried to help out those guys. There was a lot of nonsense on the side, but my game never dipped. I always felt like I was there for my team. If anything, my game got better just because I knew we needed wins.

“But obviously it was a distraction.”

Jack Hughes had a career-high 43 goals and 99 points in 2022-23. Quinn Hughes, who turns 26 next month, won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top blueliner in 2023-24 with a career-high 92 points.

Selected seventh overall at the 2018 draft and set to turn 26 next month, Quinn Hughes has put up 409 points (59 goals, 350 assists) in 433 career regular-season games. He has added two goals and 24 assists in 30 playoff contests.

Jack Hughes — the No. 1 pick the following June — has registered 351 points (141 goals, 210 assists) in 368 game to go along with 11 points (six goals, five assists) across 12 playoff outings.

Luke Hughes, who went fourth overall in 2021, has produced 93 points (17 goals, 76 assists) in his 155 games. He’s chipped in another two assists in four post-season contests.

Quinn Hughes said that, in the end, he understands the banter regarding what lays over the horizon. It simply comes with the territory.

“People want to know what direction the team’s going in,” he said of the Canucks. “Is there a direction and whatnot? I can understand why it’s being brought up.

“If we had a terrific season last year and we were Cup contenders, I don’t think I would be the noise right now.”

While a reunion of the brothers in the NHL is not imminent, there may still be a Hughes family connection in the near future. Quinn Hughes is already confirmed to represent the United States at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, and Jack is likely to be added to the American roster.

This report by Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press, was first published Sept. 10, 2025.