Hughes Scores in Wild Debut; Blockbuster Trade Nets Results for Both Sides

(KNSI) – The Twin Cities are now known as the Quinn Cities for professional hockey fans.

A blockbuster trade has netted immediate results for both the Wild and Canucks, who each won on Sunday. The weekend started with the shocking announcement that Minnesota had landed one of the most coveted defenseman in all of hockey in Quinn Hughes. Going the other way to Vancouver was blueliner Zeev Buium, center Marco Rossi, winger Liam Ohgren, and the Wild’s 2026 first-round draft pick.

The Canucks skated in New Jersey to a 2-1 victory. Puck drop was 11:30 a.m. Central Time. Both of their scores came in the first period. Buium picked up a secondary assist on the opening tally of the contest, just 61 seconds in. He then added a power play goal himself at the 6:48 mark.

The Vancouver Canucks posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Buium is the first defenseman in team history to record multiple points in the opening period of his Canucks debut. He is only the third defender in franchise history to notch multiple points in his debut overall.

Hughes laced up his skates in green and red for the first time at Grand Casino Arena later in the afternoon. It was an easy win for the home team, as they toppled the Boston Bruins, 6-2. Hughes made it 4-0 less than a minute into the third period when he lit the lamp with a wrister. It was his third of the season.

It’s early, but the trade could be the rare one where both sides end up happy. Vancouver is in last place in the Western Conference with 27 points, but boasts extra depth throughout its forward ranks in Rossi and Ohgren. Minnesota is now 19-9-5, just four points back of Dallas for second place in the Central Division and comfortably in the playoff picture.

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