Captain Quinn Hughes tells new head coach Adam Foote to back off after offseason incident

When Quinn Hughes finally met with the media this week, the Vancouver Canucks captain revealed something that gave fans a good laugh, and a glimpse into the early relationship between him and new head coach Adam Foote.

According to Hughes, Foote was blowing up his phone all summer, eager to connect and establish his vision for the team. The captain admitted he eventually had to tell Foote to ease up.

“If I didn’t tell him that, he’d have been on the phone with me every four or five days. He’s really great at communicating and no one’s more excited for the season than him.” Hughes said.

Hughes said he plans on letting a few calls go unanswered for a while, otherwise his phone might never stop buzzing. But behind the humor lies a clear message: Foote is fired up about his first NHL head coaching job, and he’s making sure the players feel it.

The Canucks’ star blue liner emphasized that Foote’s focus isn’t on adding flashy new pieces but on maximizing what’s already in the room.

“He’s trying to make us a better team. It’s so hard to add pieces from the outside, so he’s trying to empower everyone on the inside and make everyone inside better. He can teach us and bring us closer. Let’s be honest: we’re not going to be the most-skilled team, but we can have the hardest-working team. We can have a team. I mean, you look at Florida and they have a ton of talent, but they’re a team. And that’s something we can be.”

For a franchise hungry to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the synergy between Hughes and Foote could be pivotal. If the captain and coach are aligned, the Canucks may just have the foundation to grind their way back into contention.