Wild coach John Hynes said on Thursday that Quinn Hughes is dealing with an illness. Stacy Revere / Getty Images
April 17, 2026 2:08 pm EDT
DALLAS — Quinn Hughes, the Minnesota Wild’s game-changer from the back end since arriving from the Vancouver Canucks in a mid-December blockbuster, missed his second practice in a row on Friday with what coach John Hynes on Thursday said was an illness.
Hynes said after Thursday’s practice in St. Paul, Minn., that the star defenseman was expected to be on the team’s charter in the afternoon to Dallas. However, league sources say Hughes did not fly to Dallas with the team and instead was expected to fly to Dallas on Friday afternoon.
Nevertheless, a team source said, “We fully expect Quinn to play tomorrow.”
The Athletic hasn’t seen on the ice since he logged 29 minutes, 58 seconds, in a loss at Nashville on Saturday. He flew to St. Louis with the team after the game, but he didn’t skate Monday morning, Tuesday morning or in the practices Thursday and Friday. He also didn’t take part in the “Jersey off our backs” event after Tuesday’s regular-season finale against Anaheim.
Hughes scored five goals and 53 points in 48 games for the Wild, a new single-season team record for points for defensemen. His 48 assists was also a single-season team record for defensemen. He reached 50 points in his 43rd game, becoming the fastest player to reach the 50-point mark in franchise history.
Overall, Hughes’ 76 points in 74 games ranked fifth among NHL defensemen and his 69 assists ranked second. Hughes led the league with an average ice time per game of 27:44 — more than a minute over Zach Werenski, who finished second.
Apr 17, 2026
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