An unfortunate injury to Quinn Hughes knocked the reigning Norris Trophy winner out of the U.S. lineup for the 4 Nations Face-Off and opened the door for a younger defenseman to make some Olympic hockey history.

The United States didn’t have to sacrifice much when looking for a replacement for injured defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the 4 Nations Face-Off final: Reigning Norris Trophy winner

The Vancouver Canucks hope the potential return of defenseman Quinn Hughes allows them to carry over the momentum they built before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Canucks (26-18-11) won three straight games and six of eight (6-1-1) before the break despite missing Hughes for the final four games because of an undisclosed injury.

The NHL should bend the rules to allow the best defender in the world play for Team USA at 4 Nations Face-Off.

Team USA said Quinn Hughes was flying to Boston to join them at least as emergency depth. But Hughes was still in Vancouver and unsure of his status.

What's best for country isn't always what's best for club, as made clear by this week's dance among the Canucks, Team USA and the NHL.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes wanted to join Team USA for the 4 Nations Face-Off final against Canada, but he won't be in Boston for tonight's showdown. According to The Athletic's Michael Russo and Chris Johnston, it was the Vancouver Canucks who ultimately prevented Hughes from flying to Boston and joining the USA on a reserve basis.

The saga around injury replacements and extra players for teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off has a new layer as Team USA was informed the Vancouver Canucks captain

Hughes is the reigning Norris Trophy winner as the NHL’s top defenseman and is putting up stellar numbers in the 2024-25 season. In 47 games played with the Canucks, Hughes has