Elias Pettersson addresses the media for the first time since the Quinn Hughes trade
Photo credit: The Daily Faceoff
Canucks forward Elias Pettersson is addressing the media for the first time since the trade of his now-ex teammate Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild.
The Vancouver Canucks are set to bring back Elias Pettersson into their lineup for the first time in eight games, as he's now been officially activated off Injured Reserve.
It will also be the first time that he's played without now-ex teammate Quinn Hughes, who was traded earlier this month to the Minnesota Wild as part of a blockbuster trade.
After the morning skate, Pettersson was asked about what he thought of the trade and Hughes no longer being with the team, and he said that even though Hughes is a friend, there's still the business side of the game to consider.
Quinn is Quinn, we all know how good he is. Tough to lose him. Friend for a long time for me, but it's a business at the end of the day. We've got to accept [...] the return we got, the players are looking good, so just turn the page and move forward.
Obviously, a big change since the last time I played, but the new guys have been looking good. - Elias Pettersson
Obviously, a big change since the last time I played, but the new guys have been looking good. - Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson Was The Center Of A Rift In The Locker Room Last Season
Last season for the Canucks, almost nothing went right, as they went from Pacific Division champions in 2023-24 to missing the playoffs in 2024-25.
One of the main storylines for the Canucks last year was the reported rift between Pettersson and another now-ex teammate in JT Miller, who was eventually traded to the New York Rangers after the rift was confirmed by executive Jim Rutherford.
There was also an incident earlier this season in which Hughes was seen in a tense conversation with Pettersson at the bench not long before the trade.
So far this year, Pettersson has 22 points (8G, 14A).
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 27 | 166 ANSWERS Elias Pettersson addresses the media for the first time since the Quinn Hughes trade Are the Canucks better off without Quinn Hughes? | ||
| Yes | 102 | 61.4 % |
| No | 64 | 38.6 % |
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