Canucks’ Quinn Hughes to miss 4 Nations Face-Off with injury

Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes will not participate in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to injury, general manager Patrik Allvin announced on Sunday.

Ottawa Senators blue liner Jake Sanderson will replace Hughes for the Americans, USA Hockey confirmed.

Hughes, the Canucks captain, was set to suit up alongside younger brother Jack for the U.S. team at the first international tournament featuring the NHL’s best since 2016.

But the 25-year-old missed missed his fourth straight game on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an undisclosed ailment, putting his status for the mid-season competition in peril. He hasn’t suited up since Jan. 31, when he appeared to get hurt during a 5-3 loss to the Dallas Stars.

Friedman reported on the Saturday Headlines segment of Hockey Night in Canada that the Canucks had been leaving the 4 Nations decision in Hughes’ hands.

“I’ve heard he’s just agonizing over it,” Friedman said. “Vancouver’s situation is different than Pittsburgh (with Sidney Crosby). Pittsburgh is much lower in the standings, Vancouver is in the playoff race and I think he feels the pressure.”

The reigning Norris Trophy winner leads the league in scoring by defencemen with 59 points (14 goals, 45 assists) in 47 games this season.

Hughes is also Vancouver’s leading scorer and has at least one point in each of his last eight games, with five goals and seven assists across the stretch.

Now, he’ll have two weeks to treat whatever has been bothering him before the Canucks return to action on Feb. 22 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Sanderson, 22, has 35 points (five goals, 30 assists) in 55 games with the Senators on the season.

The 2020 fifth-overall pick has played on a shutdown pairing alongside Artem Zub for Ottawa, which currently holds the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Sanderson will join Senators captain Brady Tkachuk with the stars and stripes for the team’s opening game on Thursday against Finland at Montreal’s Bell Centre.

Live coverage throughout the tournament will be available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Injuries have forced several players to pull out of the international competition, including Canadian defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, Finnish blueliner Miro Heiskanen and Swedish goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

With files from The Canadian Press.