Bo Horvat speaks out on Canucks captain Quinn Hughes

The Vancouver Canucks experienced an absolute disaster of a season last year, as there were several changes within the organization as well as on the ice. One of the biggest changes that took place aside from the firing of head coach Bruce Boudreau was the trade of captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders in late January. 

The official trade was Horvat from the Canucks to the Islanders in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier and Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Horvat himself would soon sign an eight-year contract extension with his new team, even though it took a bit for him to get acclimated to his new surroundings, scoring just four goals in the last 24 games of the year after having already scored 31 with the Canucks. 

The Canucks have since named the 15th captain in team history as defenseman Quinn Hughes, and Horvat couldn't be happier for his official successor. 

“There's so many great guys on that team, it really didn't matter who they gave it to,” Horvat said Tuesday in a telephone interview from Long Island. “But, I mean, if it was going to be a guy that I would pick, it would be Hughsie. I definitely think they made the right choice there.

“I really saw an evolution. As he matured and got older and I watched him grow over the four years that I played with him, you obviously saw the captain qualities develop. He's passionate and he wants to win. I think that's his biggest quality -- that he is competitive and hates it when we lose. Those are things that you want in your captain. But he's also respectful. He never puts anybody down. If something happens on the ice, he takes the blame. I think those are all good qualities that a captain needs. You don't blame your teammates; you're picking guys up when they're down. I respect him for that.”

What kind of captain will Hughes be in Vancouver? 

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