Bill Guerin talks Quinn Hughes Trade

Bill Guerin talks Quinn Hughes Trade

[Music] any questions? Um, yeah, it’s uh it was a it was a good night last night. Um, uh, bringing a a player like Quinn Hughes here, uh, you you just don’t get these opportunities all that often. Um, you know, Marco Ross, Z Buiam, uh, Liam Ogrren, all great kids, great players with bright futures. Uh, definitely hard to, uh, hard to part with guys that you draft, develop, you spend time with, you get to know them, their families. Um, but like I said, when when a player of Quinn’s caliber comes available, um, and you have an opportunity to to get him, uh, you know, there there’s a cost to it. And, uh, you know, we we’re willing to to do what it takes. Rutherford said you brought this idea to him probably five to seven days ago. Is is that accurate? And why that timing? Yeah. Um yeah, I was uh actually flying home uh from a scouting trip uh a week ago. What’s today? Today’s Saturday. Yeah. Uh so yeah, a week ago and or Monday. Um a week ago Monday. And uh yeah, I just called Jim and just uh we you know, obviously Jim and I have a relationship and um uh we we chatted about it and he he told me what what they wanted to try and accomplish with with the move and I I felt we could satisfy their their needs and and and we did. And uh that’s why it’s great, you know, Jim and and Patrick are are friends, guys that I’ve worked with in the past. I know how they I know how they deal uh with situations like this and they get right to the point and um I think that’s why it worked uh worked so well. Was it complicated just putting the package together, Bill, or just how did you get to the finish line? I mean, it sounds like Quinn had some involvement or was aware. Uh yeah, from what from what Jim tells me, you know, obviously like listen, when you’re dealing with players of this caliber, guys that are guys that have done so much for your organization, you know, I I think and and that’s that’s why I love Jim, like you you want to do right by the player as well, but you have to accomp the first thing is accomplishing what you need for the team but then there is a a human element to it and I think we satisfied you know both parties everything in in in that. Did you get any assurance bill that he would resign and how does that factor into putting a trade together? Uh, listen, you can’t you can’t make promises like you know and and after the deal done talking to to Quinn and Quinn’s agent like you but I think I think Quinn will really like it here. I I think this is he he’s a hockey nut. Like he watches every game. He knows what’s going on in the league. You know, getting to know him through the fornations process. um uh he just loves hockey and I think there’s obviously no better market than Minnesota to be a hockey player and uh you know I I believe in our our team and our culture and our organization and our our market, our fans, our the I mean hockeyy’s in the fabric here and um I think he’ll really like it. You’ve already shown him, it seems, enough though for him to not have completely vetoed the idea, right? I mean, how proud are you of that that this was a place that he’s like, “Yeah, you know, let’s give it a go.” Yeah, I I’m very proud of I Look, I love Minnesota. Our players love Minnesota. Um, this is a great place to play, but no matter what, whether you have good weather, good taxes, good, I don’t know, whatever, hockey has to be good. The hockey has to be You can make You can live in the sun. You can, you know, live in these great places or make a little more money, but if the hockeyy’s not good, you won’t be happy. So, that’s what really matters. If the hockey is good, if your job is good, you will be happy. And uh I I think Quinn will be really happy here. Is Quinn here just yet or No, we’re going to uh Chris Callaher and I are going to fly out and and get him and uh bring him back. He’ll be in the lineup tomorrow. Does it help with that? Uh selling him on Minnesota that it’s going to be below zero when he gets Yeah, that’s a big time. He He’s gonna skate on one of the legs tonight just to loosen up. Are you gonna go after the game though? I’m gonna go right now. Right away. Yeah. Will he start with Brock Faber? Uh that’s up to John. Yeah. You said since the summer you finally had some flexibility capwise to go after some big players and during the season like how much was like some like I don’t this player was in mind I guess but like how much is that just a reflection of what you were talking about then have the opportunities to have something like this? Yeah, it’s just it was it’s like I said this summer like we didn’t make any you know uh well according to you guys we didn’t do anything this summer. Um but you know it’s nice to be in the game you know and we weren’t able to do this for the past four years. So it was it was nice to just uh you know you throw your hat in the ring and put your best foot forward and and uh uh like I said it It’s nice to be in the game. But the way the free agency goes now with solder cap going up, everybody has money, I guess. Like how much are just this is the way to get these kind of special players is a trade versus like waiting for July or something like that, you know, to get something like this done. Yeah, I mean it’s it’s definitely one way uh you know with the with the cap going up the way it is uh you know it’s definitely made it more uh realistic for teams to sign their own players and makes it a little more difficult um uh uh free agent wise. Um, so when, like I said, when when a player of this caliber becomes available and you can get in the game, um, and you’re serious. It’s just it’s it’s good to be involved. What does this say just about the Stanley Cup potential in the window for this team, the message that it sends, and just how much in mind knowing you’re going to have to compete against the likes of Colorado and Dallas? How much does that factor into just what you believe this team’s potential is now? Well, I mean, I’ve always said I believe in our players. I believe in this team. I believe in um what we’re doing here. And I think adding somebody like Quinn, uh I think the guys are happy. Um and you know what, as for listen, we have an extremely competitive division. It’s it’s I mean, you’re going through the meat grinder here and and you know, we respect our opponents and but we we we want to do our own thing, too. And we want to be uh we want to compete for the Stanley Cup. While we were in Vancouver last week, between that and your scouting for Milano, just how much have you watched Quinn this season? I haven’t seen him play live, but I think I know enough about him. I think the whole world knows enough about him to understand what he is and who he is. And um like I said, like he’s a special player and uh uh these these opportunities don’t present themselves all that often, but um so we’re we’re we feel we feel fortunate and uh I I just I just love the way the deal went down because I really I really think we got what we were looking for and I think Vancouver got what they were looking for. Um they got three really good young players that are going to help build their team. Um and we got, you know, uh you know, a franchise defenseman. What’s Gwyn’s reaction you just talking to him? Yeah, he’s he’s really excited. Yeah, he’s I mean he’s such a great kid and um like I said, we uh through the whole Four Nations process last year with him kind of maybe being ready not we we talked uh almost every day through that process. So, we got to know each other and um all he all he wants to do is is win and and and be a part of something special. So, he’s really excited and um I I think we have a really unique bunch of guys in our locker room and he will he’ll see how how how we operate and uh how that group of guys operates and um you know from the leadership from Spurge to Moose to Carill on down. It’s a it’s a really good bunch of guys and they they play for each other and I think that’s what he’s looking for. Where do you think you are at the m up the middle now, Bill? And how much is this maybe also indicative of your off’s growth so far? Of what? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Danila’s really Danilla keeps getting better and better and I think that’s what really made it possible. Um I’m not worried about our center depth at all. Uh, you know, we we still have flexibility. So, you know, who who knows what we can do in the future, but um yeah, I’m I’m really comfortable with with where we are. And you said with Rossy’s moving on, you’re losing a little bit of that production that he brought, but just how much does Quinn Hughes really tilt the ice and bring that as well? Well, like I said, that’s why that’s that’s why this deal just works because, you know, Marco Marco was a big part of this team. you know, he could play with Zuki and Carrill. He could play with Moose and Treny. He could play anywhere up and down the lineup. He’s a smart player. He he produces, you know, 60 points last year is is not easily replaced, but we’re also adding a guy that has had a 90point season as a defenseman. and, you know, the the way he runs a power play. Um, just the way he moves a puck and and I think it’s a win-win. Could this deal have been done without Zeve as part of it? And I know you I don’t think so. Yeah. Something they kind of I don’t think so. And and look, Ze, I love that kid. I mean, he he’s a special he’s a special kid. He’s a special human. like I, you know, getting to know him and his family and um, you know, Vancouver got three really good young quality guys and uh, you know, if if if Quinn Hughes wasn’t available, they’d still be here and I was totally fine with that. And uh, but like I said before, you have to you have to give something to get something. Why do you feel like this was the right moment to kind of push all the chips in and acquire a guy like Hughes? Because it’s because it’s Quinn Hughes and if you wait for the like I I don’t know what the right moment is, but if you wait for it, you’re going to miss it. You know, I don’t know if the weather had to be warmer or something or but no, there there’s the when it’s a player of this caliber, the right time’s always now. Bill, you talked about that in the past like you’ve called it. It’s just a feel to know when that right moment will come along. And just now in hindsight, just how happy are you that you you were patient and you know you didn’t just you didn’t try to go for this sooner because you probably wouldn’t be in this position now if you tried to make this move two or three years ago. Um yeah, I patience isn’t always one of my strong suits, but um yeah, maybe some things didn’t work out. Uh like other deals probably didn’t work out and it it just yeah, it just fell into place. Like I didn’t there was no I didn’t have this grand plan of like oh I’m going to wait three years and then bang you know I’ll do it you know right before Christmas in 2025. No it it just became available and like I said we we just wanted to be involved like really the last week like even at the beginning of the of the season when his future became kind of unclear not even in camp or anything. Yeah. What what made you decide to give him a call that day when it was in the airport or whatever that you know when I was I was in New York and and and Matt Cells called me and he says, “Hey, you know, this sounds kind of crazy, but maybe give Jim a call.” Um, and I I I give Matt a lot of credit with just, you know, he pushes me, you know, so does Chris Keller and Mike Murray. They they push me. And but Matt made the call and he’s like, “This might sound nuts, but maybe make the call.” And I did. So it wasn’t Christmas in July, it’s Christmas and December. Christmas and Christmas. Yeah. Yeah. Are you confident, Bill, from the like not maybe knowing who else was inquiring and what they could put together? Did you initially just think that you could stand out as a suitor and feel? I I I don’t know what anybody else offered, but I know um Hey, look with with like I said, with players of this caliber, you cannot screw around. There’s no there’s no you’re not going to fool anybody, you know? I mean, Jim’s been doing this for 40 years. like, uh, I know Patrick, they do their homework, they they know. So, we had to go with them, go to them with something real right away to to tell them that we’re we’re we’re serious. Was this Sorry, that was the initial offer. No back much back and forth then. It was just kind of like No, I mean Jim had other options. you know, and and he had to, you know, kind of see things through. I I don’t know, you know, who he was talking to or what his process was, but we came out of the gates with that because it it they wanted to check certain boxes and we had to we had to check them for them. That’s the only way it gets done. It it doesn’t we’re not going to sneak one by them. They’re they’re smart. Like I said, Jim’s been doing this, you know, since before I was even a player in the league, so not gonna fool him. Amongst the tools in Quinn’s arsenal, obviously the leadership component, too. How great is it going to be to have that presence in the locker room? I mean, it’s going to be great. I mean, you can never have too many leaders. I I think Quinn, too, with, you know, he’s a soft spoken guy. Uh, his leadership comes on the ice in the in in his play. Um, yeah. Uh, it’s always nice to have another leader in in your in your room and, you know, they come in lots of different, you know, shapes, sizes, forms, you know, whatever. But he he is a leader. The team is in a unique position, Bill, just with before the CBA switches in terms of what you can offer. Just how how much I guess do you think you’ll stay in touch with his camp leading up to the summer? How much will that be a focus and trying to ignite those talks? Sarah, can you give me one day? One day. That’s all I’m asking for. No, it Yeah, we’ll we’ll we’ll take care of that when we have to. I mean, it’s right now we’re just we’re uh we’re focused on playing hockey. We’ll deal with the other stuff when we have to. It’s just like Carell, you know, like there’s a process and and we’ll go through it. And um right now we want to get Quinn here, get him comfortable, get him acclimated to his new surroundings. I don’t care who you are, your first trade’s a doozy. You know, when you get to eight teams and then then it comes become a little easier, trust me. But no, the first one, no matter what, is uh um is always tough. And uh but again like we bring players in here for who they are, what they are, to be themselves as uh their as a human, their personalities, their playing style. We just want Quinn to come in and be himself. He doesn’t have to save the world. He He’s just coming here to help us be a better team. When did you agree to the deal? Was it yesterday? And like where were you when you get the call from Jim like, “Hey, like let’s do this or You want the honest truth? I was uh making meatballs for our uh Christmas Eve dinner and Jim called so I had to take my gloves, my latex gloves off. So I was rolling meatballs and uh he told me we have a deal and uh I there was a fist pump involved. You had more calls to make after that, right? You know, Laz and Marco and Yeah. Yeah. Well, and those are those are tough. And they’re, like I said, the the the three kids, they uh yeah, they handled it like men. And uh yeah, they’re they’re good. They’re God, they’re they’re good kids, man. I I I can’t say enough about those kids and their character and and what I think of them. And like I said, if if if Quinn wasn’t available, they’d still be here. And um I believe in them. I still do. I always will. Those will be the best, tastiest meatballs that you have now on Christmas Eve. You’ll They’re going to be really They’re really good. They’re really good. It’s my wife’s recipe. And like, hey, I’m just doing the grunt work. Yeah. Yeah, though. Well, like you said, like you said with Krill sign, like great players want to play with great players. So, I think I’m sure picture wise you’re like that could be a selling point in itself. You see Matt Baldi, you see Carrill, you see Yeah. Well, I think I I think for for Quinn, yeah, if he I mean, I would imagine he he looked at our roster, you know, power play like, you know, there’s there’s Krill, there’s Bolts, there’s Zuki, there’s Eki. Those are pretty good guys to to line up with. and um I I’m sure they’re excited to to get him in town and you know start walking the blue line. Given what you parted with uh how confident are you that the team still has the assets to make further moves going forward as necessary? I’m confident. Yeah, I’m I’m confident. I mean, you know, we’ve built over this is year seven for me. So over the last six years, we’ve we’ve built up our assets um in in prospects, picks, whatever it is. Uh we have flexibility in our cap. Uh so we can still do stuff. All right. Thanks everybody. He’s in New Jersey. Yeah. [Music]

Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations & General Manager Bill Guerin meets with the media for the first time since a blockbuster trade for Norris Trophy winning defenseman Quinn Hughes.

The stream will begin at approximately 12:00pm CST on Saturday, December 13th, 2025. Timing subject to change.