Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes named 2024 Norris Trophy winner

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was announced as the winner for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman at the 2024 NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Hughes beat out Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi and Colorado Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar to capture his first Norris Trophy win with 172 first place votes. It was the third straight season and fourth time in five seasons that Hughes had received votes for the Norris Trophy, although this year was the first time that he was a finalist.

This is the first time that a Canucks’ defenseman has won the award in it’s 70-year history. Hughes is the second Canuck to win an award this season, joining head coach Rick Tocchet, who won the Jack Adams Award. Hughes is also the ninth unique winner in the past nine seasons, with the last multiple winner being Erik Karlsson in 2015 and 2023.

Hughes wins the award after a career year, which saw him put up 17 goals and 75 assists for 92 points in 82 games. Those were all career-highs for him, with his 75 assists alone nearly surpassing his previous career-high in points of 76.

Hughes did struggle to score come playoff time, but he was still quite productive with 10 assists in 13 games as the Canucks were eliminated in the second round in seven games by the Edmonton Oilers.

Hughes was the seventh-overall selection of the Canucks at the 2018 NHL Draft, and after making his NHL debut in the following season for a 5-game stint, secured a full time spot in the lineup in the 2019-20 season, where he was also a finalist for the Calder Trophy. He’s now played parts of six seasons in Vancouver.

Hughes will be entering the fourth year of a seven-year deal with a $7.85 million cap hit, a contract that he signed just before the start of the 2021-22 season.