Breaking: Big Development in Quinn Hughes Team USA Drama

Will he or won't he? Is he eligible or isn't he? After a couple of days of drama surrounding the availability of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and whether or not he'd be able to join Team USA for the big 4 Nations Final Thursday night, we now get the final word, via insider Pierre LeBrun:

Team USA has been informed Quinn Hughes is not travelling here to Boston to join the team. Wasn’t medically cleared.
Sounds like Team USA looking at bringing in a couple of other players just as insurance, because of illness going around.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 19, 2025

LeBrun reports that Hughes was not medically cleared after all. He will not be travelling to Boston to be on standby for the Final.

Spoke with Quinn Hughes’ agent Pat Brisson who said it was a very difficult decision for his client, that Hughes really, really wanted to join Team USA. But reality is he still isn’t medically cleared. And likely wasn’t going to play unless Team USA had another D injury or…
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 19, 2025

People got their hopes up earlier Wednesday, when it was reported that that Hughes was no longer in the non-contact jersey at Canucks practice.

Jake Sanderson watch continues….. https://t.co/TlpH1AtEMT
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) February 19, 2025

And of course, that spawned all sorts of hilarious posts with everyone assuming that current 6th defenseman Jake Sanderson would somehow not make it to game-time, thus making room—or so they thought—for Hughes.

Jake Sanderson walking into TD Gardens arena before the Canada 🇨🇦 vs USA 🇺🇸 game

pic.twitter.com/sLEgJ7wa5X https://t.co/PF5A1zRD2E
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) February 18, 2025

Team USA to Jake Sanderson in practice today pic.twitter.com/jvxFWLu20p
— LandysKnee (@landysknee) February 18, 2025

Hughes hasn't played since the end of January due to injury, and missed the Canucks' last four games before the break. With this latest news, he'll just have to watch the 4 Nations Final from Vancouver.

LeBrun does report that Team USA could bring in a couple of other players, however, as "insurance", as there's a fair bit of illness going around the locker room.