For the few families with enough hockey talent in the bloodline, there is no better feeling than playing in the NHL alongside your brother, said Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno. He will spend the 2026-27 season playing — likely on the same line — as his older brother Nick, who came to the Wild via a trade last season.
But when asked about the prospect of Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes someday playing with his two younger brothers, each currently employed by the New Jersey Devils, Marcus grinned and said now is not the right time for a Hughes family reunion.
“We said it’s the best when it’s toward the end of your career,” Foligno, 35, joked of finally getting together with Nick, 38, with a trade deadline deal last season. “If you do it too early, you don’t appreciate it.”
Hughes is not yet 27, just one of the reasons the Wild want him to stick around for a few more years. But the coming season’s training camp began on Thursday with the star defenseman still unsigned to an extension by general manager Bill Guerin, and still not feeling any pressure to rush his future plans.
“Me and Billy will talk and continue to talk, and like I said before, I don’t feel stressed to do something before the season,” Hughes said while meeting with the Twin Cities media for the first time since May. “And that’s not saying that something won’t (happen), but that’s just how it is.”
Acquired in a trade with Vancouver last December, Hughes can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
It’s a kind of rerun for Wild fans. Kirill Kaprizov was in the same situation when camp began in 2025 before signing an eight-year extension worth a then-record $17 million per season. Hughes referenced that history in urging calm among the Wild fan base.
“I don’t think there’s any issues,” he said. “First of all, like, it’s September (17). I mean, Kirill didn’t sign … I don’t even know when, but later than this. … I just think that we’re going through the process, specifically myself, and just taking the time, and like I said … I don’t feel pressure to do anything. I’m really happy here. I love the guys. I love the team, and I fit in really well.”
With Hughes playing with Brock Faber on the blue line, the Wild made the playoffs and won a first-round series for the first time in 10 years before losing a five-game series to Colorado. Over the summer, he spent time in Michigan skating and working out with his brothers, Jack and Luke, and and Jack introduced country music star Morgan Wallen before a late-July concert at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, where Quinn played college hockey for two seasons.
Hughes’ impact on the Wild roster was felt most directly by Faber, who had a career season playing with him. Having the pair together from the start of training camp has produced high expectations for 2026-27. Hughes said it should make “an insane difference” having extended time to work together with Faber going into what will be their first full season together.
“I obviously expect that we’re going to be better than we were last year and continue to grow together as a pair,” Faber said Thursday after coach John Hynes pushed the team hard on the opening day of camp. Faber’s challenge, he said, is “to challenge myself to take another step and to take another step. That’s what I’m ready to do, that’s what I’m going to try to do. It’s exciting. We’re really excited to get back together.”
In 48 regular-season games with the Wild, Hughes led all defenseman in scoring and tied for the team’s scoring lead among all players in the playoffs.
Briefly
With the regular season expanding to 84 games and just four preseason games on the schedule, Hynes said goalies Jesper Wallstedt and Calvin Pickard will each get the net for two games prior to the regular season opener. Filip Gustavsson, who had offseason hip surgery, watched some of practice in street clothes and will not be available on-ice for training camp, Hynes said.