New Minnesota Wild Superstar Shines in Debut

For years, the term superstar in Minnesota Wild circles has been synonymous of Kirill Kaprizov. You could make an argument for Matt Boldy as well, but the list has been a short one.

That now has changed. With the acquisition of defensemen Quinn Hughes, John Hynes is coaching one of the two or three best players at his position in the NHL. Minnesota paid a hefty price to land him, but the early returns were immediate. While rookie Zeev Buium made an impact in his Vancouver Canucks debut, Hughes wasted no time doing the same for the Wild.

Not to be outdone, Hughes stole the spotlight.

Quinn Hughes Lights the Lamp for the Wild

General manager Bill Guerin surrendered the equivalent of four first-round picks to acquire superstar defenseman Quinn Hughes. When a player of that caliber becomes available, it’s a price you have to be willing to pay.

QUINN comes up HUGHES with his first @mnwild goal! 😉 pic.twitter.com/ZA2skxWJnm

— NHL (@NHL) December 15, 2025

Making his Minnesota Wild debut Sunday night, Hughes wasted no time making his presence felt. With the Wild leading the Boston Bruins 3-0, Hughes snapped a wrist shot past the goaltender to make it 4-0. It was only a matter of time before he recorded his first point in a Wild sweater, as he had already been all over the ice.

By the end of the night, Hughes had scored three goals.

Through 26 games with the Vancouver Canucks this season, Hughes recorded two goals and 21 assists, with both of those goals coming on the power play. The former Norris Trophy winner was always expected to make an immediate and significant impact in Minnesota, and he delivered.

The Wild cruised to a convincing 6-2 win over the Bruins, who entered the game with a 19-13 record. Minnesota never needed overtime, and Hughes led the team with 26:56 of ice time, more than three minutes ahead of the next closest skater, Brock Faber.

With Hughes now in the fold, the Wild’s sights are firmly set on a Stanley Cup, not another early playoff exit. Minnesota returns to action at home Tuesday night against Washington.