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Multiple Canucks Stars Out Against Kraken

The Vancouver Canucks will be without multiple stars against the Seattle Kraken.

Jacob Punturi

Dec 3, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA;Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and center Elias Pettersson (40) talk before a power play against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Dec 3, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA;Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) and center Elias Pettersson (40) talk before a power play against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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The Vancouver Canucks will be without two of their star players when they face the Seattle Kraken in a Pacific Division showdown.

Speaking to the media ahead of their matinee against the Kraken, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that captain Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson will miss the game due to injury.

The Canucks were hoping to begin their post-holiday schedule on the right foot, but this announcement is sure to hinder their chances to do so. Hughes is the second-leading scorer in the NHL this season among defensemen. He has 42 points in just 34 games following his first Norris Trophy-winning campaign in 2023-2024. He's also the heart and soul of the Canucks roster, making an irreplaceable piece of the lineup.

Pettersson is one of the top scoring forwards in the Canucks organization and has retained that status over the last seven seasons. Despite a sluggish start to his 2024-2025 campaign, he's produced 10 goals and 28 points in 34 games to rank second on the team in scoring and first among forwards.

In Tocchet's time with the media, he discussed trying to make a positive out of a negative situation. One way he is attempting to do that is looking at the chance and opportunity this allows other players in the lineup.

"Adversity has hit our team and sometimes you got to use it as a positive," he said. "All athletes want are chances."

One other interesting note is that this will be the first time in more than five years that the Canucks will not have Hughes and Pettersson in the lineup. Both players are not only stars and leaders in the organization, they've been two of the most dependable players in the lineup.

Pettersson has played in 68 games or more in five of his six full seasons, including three straight seasons playing between 80 and 82 games. Similarly, Hughes has played 76, 78, and 82 games respectively over the last three years. It's a testament to their durability, but now the Canucks must try to make up the difference without two star players in the lineup. Joey Kenward of Sportsnet Radio and Rogers Media shared that the last game the Canucks played without these two was a March, 2019 game against the Anaheim Ducks, two days before Hughes' NHL debut.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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