Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced Sunday that captain Quinn Hughes will not play for the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in Montreal, Quebec.
Instead, the Canucks captain will be replaced by Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson, the Senators announced shortly after. Sanderson, 22, has five goals, 30 assists, and 35 points in 55 games this season as Ottawa is impressively alive and well in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The Year of the Snake continues!! 🐍 🐍 🐍
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 9, 2025
Congrats, Jake Sanderson on being named to Team USA 🇺🇸 at the Four Nations Face-Off 👏
📝: https://t.co/WqQWb64iYL pic.twitter.com/PN1oxQbQYU
Sanderson's Senators are currently 29-23-4 with 62 points and a slight lead over Detroit, Columbus, Boston, and other teams pushing for a wildcard spot in the East.
As for Hughes, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that this was an "agonizing" decision for the Canucks star, who desperately wanted to play in the tournament to represent the U.S. alongside younger brother Jack Hughes.
Quinn Hughes is officially out of the 4 Nations.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 9, 2025
Was an agonizing decision for him. Badly wanted to play, but Canucks need him for race to playoffs.
Because the Canucks now have a three-point lead over Calgary for the second wildcard playoff spot in the Western Conference, the smartest decision for all parties involved was to allow Hughes to rest, get healthier, and be ready for the push that comes with the final 27 games of the 2024-25 regular season.
Hughes is reportedly dealing with an oblique injury, which generally takes a few weeks to heal, and sometimes longer, depending on the severity. With the U.S. playing its first game of the tournament against Finland on Thursday night, Hughes was likely going to miss one or more games anyway.
With Hughes bowing out and Sanderson filling in, Team USA's defence is now comprised of Sanderson, Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Noah Hanifin, Charlie McAvoy, Jaccob Slavin, and Zach Werenski. Hughes will miss out on playing with brother Jack, good friends Werenski and Dylan Larkin, and former Canucks teammate J.T. Miller.
The 25-year-old last played for the Canucks on Jan. 31 and was riding an eight-game point streak before the injury. Hughes will now be forced to set his sights on a return to full strength to guide the Canucks to a second consecutive playoff berth.