Rick Tocchet Comments on Quinn Hughes First Season as Captain - What He Needs To Work On
Last week, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet sat down with former Canuck and well-known Roxy enthusiast Shane O'Brien on his podcast, Missin Curfew. The episode was packed with interesting insights on the Canucks, but one of the highlights was Tocchet's take on Quinn Hughes and his first year as the team's captain.
As the Canucks' young leader continues to grow into his role, Tocchet had some interesting things to say about how Hughes handled the pressure, and what he still needs to work on moving forward.
Hughes is widely known as a quiet, more reserved guy who often lets his play do the talking. And while some might question if that's the right fit for a captaincy role, Hughes has proven that you don't always need to be the most outgoing personality to lead effectively. Sometimes, being a captain is more about leading by example - and Hughes certainly has done that.
The numbers speak for themselves. In his first year wearing the «C,» Hughes won the Norris Trophy, racking up a staggering 92 points as a defenseman. He didn't just dominate on the stat sheet; he played a crucial role in bringing a Canucks team that missed the playoffs the previous season all the way to Game 7 of the second round. For a young captain, that's no small feat.
At just 24 years old, Hughes is still early in his career, and it's safe to say his best years are ahead of him - both as a player and as a leader. The fact that he's already accomplished so much suggests that he's only going to get better with experience. And as Tocchet pointed out, leadership isn't always comfortable. It involves pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and sometimes making tough decisions for the good of the team.
You can watch the entire interview here:
