“I’ve adopted him fairly a bit as a result of he turns into an instance for lots of the stuff we train with our defencemen,” stated Aucoin, who set the Canucks’ single-season goal-scoring file for a defenceman, one which Hughes is chasing.
Article content material
Quinn Hughes is chasing Adrian Aucoin’s Vancouver Canucks’ single-season goal-scoring file for a defenceman. Aucoin is chasing Hughes’ spotlight clips to point out the younger rearguards he coaches.
Commercial 2
Article content material
As of Thursday morning, Hughes was at eight objectives and 33 factors by means of 23 video games, which places him on tempo for 29 objectives and 118 factors this season. Aucoin set the Canucks file for objectives in a season by a defenceman with 23, in 1998-99.
Article content material
Aucoin, 50, was a defenceman for 18 seasons within the NHL, together with his first seven with the Canucks. He lives within the Chicago space now and his time on the ice nowadays most frequently comes as an assistant coach with the Below-14 Chicago Mission group. He works primarily with their blueliners, a gaggle that features his son Kaden, 14.
The Aucoins have 5 children. Their three sons are all defencemen. Kyle, 21, is a 2020 Detroit Pink Wings sixth rounder who’s in his junior season with Harvard College, whereas Cameron, 16, has dedicated to the College of Notre Dame and is at present with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Canucks Report
Article content material
Commercial 3
Article content material
Aucoin’s favorite educating instruments nowadays embody video he finds on social media of Hughes, 24, the Canucks defender who needs to be within the dialog for finest participant within the NHL proper now.
The purpose complete can be the eighth-best in league historical past in a single season for a defenceman, behind 4 Bobby Orr seasons and three Paul Coffey campaigns. Maintaining that tempo is a monstrous ask, but it surely provides an concept of how properly he’s going proper now. His 76 factors from final 12 months set the Canucks single-season defenceman mark, and the file for objectives in a marketing campaign by a blueliner is 23, set by Aucoin in 1998-99.
“I’ve adopted him fairly a bit as a result of he turns into an instance for lots of the stuff we train with our defencemen,” Aucoin stated of Hughes, who was born just a few months after that standard-setting season for Aucoin wrapped up. “It’s not solely his excessive talent degree. It’s his consciousness on the market. It’s second to none.
Commercial 4
Article content material
“You’ll get these clips of him on social media and I’ll be within the locker room and I’ll present the younger defencemen stuff, whether or not it’s his deceptiveness or the best way he strikes his toes. He’s by no means at standstill, by no means places himself in a nasty place. He’s an excellent mannequin for the brand new period of hockey participant, and particularly the brand new period of defencemen who’re all counted on to be a little bit bit offensive in addition to taking part in accountable.”
Aucoin has gone to minor hockey showcase tournaments along with his children’ groups late in summers at USA Hockey Area, a rink in Plymouth Township, Mich.
Hughes has routinely been a part of summer time skates there on the similar time with different NHLers, preparing for coaching camp.
“I’ve watched him simply follow just a few instances and it’s unbelievable,” Aucoin continued. “If you add the talent and the extent of consciousness and let’s name it the braveness to attempt stuff … he’s taken it to a different degree.”
Commercial 5
Article content material
Aucoin grew up in Gloucester, Ont., and was a fifth-round choose by the Canucks within the 1992 NHL Draft out of Boston College. His 1,108 common season video games performed is third finest for his draft class, behind solely first rounders Roman Hamrlik (1,395) and Sergei Gonchar (1,301), who occurs to be a defensive improvement coach with these Canucks.
The Canucks dealt Aucoin in February 2001 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in a commerce that introduced goalie Dan Cloutier to Vancouver. Aucoin went on to play with the New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Phoenix Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets, along with his ultimate season coming in 2012-13.
He might hammer the puck from the purpose. That was his calling card. Hughes’ signature is that pace and agility, that potential to dart and dance away from opponents.
Commercial 6
Article content material
The sport has way more of that total than it did in Aucoin’s time. He says it’s a greater model of the game. He does miss “a number of the outdated intangibles … a little bit little bit of the toughness and different issues.”
He believes issues have modified a lot that “you’ll be able to take a number of the finest forwards within the recreation now and put them again on D,” which is an intriguing premise all of its personal.
And as a lot as the sport could have misplaced its edginess total, it’s picked it up in a single explicit space in his thoughts.
“It’s tougher to attain from the purpose now. Once I performed, I might title on one hand what number of forwards truly blocked photographs within the NHL. There was no person,” stated Aucoin.
He’s excited for a way the Canucks are taking part in. He says that he liked his time taking part in right here. Watching them this 12 months, he says he sees Daniel and Henrik Sedin fingerprints on a number of the offence. His final season with Vancouver was the rookie 12 months for the twins in what grew to become 17-season runs for them on the ice with the membership. They’re now improvement coaches with the Canucks.
Commercial 7
Article content material
“I really consider they revolutionized the sport with time and area and shifting provides and goes,” Aucoin stated. “You actually see it with how the (Canucks) forwards work collectively. I feel everyone coaches that means, however not as detailed (because the Sedins).”
Aucoin has the one 20-goal season for a defenceman in Canucks’ historical past. Doug Halward bagged 19 in 1982-83, whereas Rick Lanz counted 17 in 1983-84. Hughes’ profession excessive going into this 12 months was eight, a mark he hit in 2019-20 after which once more in 2021-22 earlier than tying it once more final week.
Beneficial from Editorial
-
Canucks GM Patrik Allvin: Growth of prospects in Abbotsford helped make Beauvillier commerce occur
-
Canucks: Teddy Blueger keen to present Golden Knights the enterprise in marquee matchup
Bookmark our web site and assist our journalism: Don’t miss the information it is advisable know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and join our newsletters right here.
You may also assist our journalism by turning into a digital subscriber: For simply $14 a month, you may get limitless entry to The Vancouver Solar, The Province, Nationwide Publish and 13 different Canadian information websites. Assist us by subscribing right this moment: The Vancouver Solar | The Province.
Article content material