Guerin talks Hughes trade

​ST. PAUL, Minn. --- Dec. 12 will go down in Minnesota sports history for two vastly different, and unrelated, “where were you when” newsmakers 15 years apart: Snow leading to the Metrodome roof collapse in 2010 and a blockbuster trade Friday evening that shocked the NHL world when the Minnesota Wild acquired superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes.

One incident was an oh-so-Minnesota moment, while the other was a Minnesota-did-what?! moment.  

“It was a good night, last night,” Wild general manager Bill Guerin told the media in a press conference ahead of Saturday’s Wild game against Ottawa. “Bringing in a player like Quinn Hughes here, you just don’t get these opportunities all that often.” 

In exchange for Quinn Hughes, the Wild send young-stud defenseman Zeev Buium, center Marco Rossi, forward Liam Ohgren and a 2026 first-round NHL Draft pick to the Vancouver Canucks. The trade news broke Friday evening with the Wild announcing the move soon afterward. Saturday, Guerin said he was going to go get Hughes to bring him to Minnesota, expecting him to be in the Wild lineup for Sunday’s 5 p.m. game against the Boston Bruins. 

So, where does this trade rank in Wild history? Let’s keep riding with these significant sports dates here. The Wild signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on July 4, 2012. That seemed like Christmas in July for Wild fans. Guerin was not the Wild’s GM at that time. So, now he has his own moment to unwrap excitement. 

“It’s Christmas at Christmas,” Guerin said. 

Multiple times during Saturday’s presser, Guerin said that if Hughes wasn’t available, the young players – “kids,” he called them – Buium, Ohgren and Rossi would still be on the Wild roster today, and he was completely fine with that. He sang the praises of these young players. 

Still, Guerin also said that when a player of Hughes’ caliber becomes available, and there’s an opportunity to get him, the Wild were willing to do what it took to bring him to Minnesota. 

Guerin loved the way the deal went down, saying Minnesota got what it was looking for, “and I think Vancouver got what they were looking for. They got three really good young players that are going to help build their team, and we got a franchise defenseman.”

Hughes, 26, has scored two goals and 23 points in 26 games with Vancouver this season. Both of his goals have come on the power play, along with 10 assists. He’s been an elite defenseman in the league since his NHL debut on March 28, 2019; since then, he leads all NHL defensemen in assists and power-play points. He’s a James Norris Memorial Trophy winner in 2023-24, the annual award given to a defenseman who shows a great all-around ability at the blue-line position. He’s played in 459 NHL games, scoring 432 career points. 

With Vancouver struggling, it was no secret that Hughes was likely to be dealt in a trade. His two brothers, Jack and Luke, play for the New Jersey Devils. Maybe that destination would have made sense, or somewhere else among the 20-something NHL teams? But no. Hughes ended up with the Wild. Guerin shared his pride for the deal, for Minnesota and for the hockey played here.

“Look, I love Minnesota,” Guerin said. “Our players love Minnesota. This is a great place to play. 
“But no matter what, whether you have good weather, good taxes… Hockey has to be good. Hockey has to be, you can live in the sun. You can live in these great places, or make a little more money, but if the hockey is not good, you won’t be happy. 
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“So that’s really what matters. If the hockey is good, if your job is good, you will be happy. And I think he’ll be really happy.” 

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