NJ Devils fans 'want' Canucks captain Quinn Hughes after Jim Rutherford's comment

Devils fans are talking about the idea of Quinn Hughes joining his brothers, Jack and Luke, in New Jersey. It started after Vancouver Canucks president Jim Rutherford discussed Quinn’s future, saying that he has talked before about wanting to play alongside his brothers. Rutherford added that the Canucks will have enough salary cap space to offer Quinn a contract he deserves; however, he admitted it might not come down to money.

“The one thing that we will be sure of is we will have enough cap space to offer him the kind of contract that he deserves," Rutherford told reporters on April 21. "That’s the one thing that we can prepare for. And it may not boil down to money for him."

Hughes still has two years left on his contract with Vancouver. He is the team captain and one of its most important players, but after Rutherford’s comments, some fans started to wonder. They think the Canucks might trade him before his contract ends instead of losing him in free agency. Rutherford also said it might be out of their control if Hughes wants to play with his brothers.

On Saturday, Devils fans shared how they felt. At the “Paint The Ice” event at Prudential Center, they wrote messages on the ice. Some said, “We want Quinn,” “Bring Hughes Bros Jersey” and one funny line read, “Free the cookie, is it October yet?” The messages showed that fans are excited about the idea of all three Hughes brothers playing together.

Devils GM responded to Quinn Hughes' comments

On Friday, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald was asked about Quinn Hughes' situation. He didn’t say much and was careful not to break any NHL rules, as the league does not allow teams to talk about players from other teams. Fitzgerald said that reporters should ask Rutherford about it, as his focus is on reviewing the team’s roster in the offseason. He added that Rutherford is known for speaking freely.

“I’m not going to speculate on a comment [about] another team’s player,” Fitzgerald said. “You’d have to ask Jim about the comment. For me, we’re going to evaluate our own team, where we need to upgrade and some things. I can’t comment on another player."

Even though nothing is official and Hughes is still under contract, the idea of seeing him with his two brothers on one team has caught people’s attention.