Vancouver Canucks executive Jim Rutherford made waves in May when he said captain Quinn Hughes had expressed an interest in playing with brother Jack in the NHL at some point

FILE - Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes, right, talks to his brother New Jersey Devils' Jack Hughes, left, before of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, in Newark, N.J. The Devils won 1-0. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, file)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vancouver Canucks executive Jim Rutherford made waves in May when he said captain Quinn Hughes had expressed an interest in playing with brother Jack in the NHL at some point.

They echoed that sentiment when asked about it this week at the league’s annual player media tour, while acknowledging contract status and other factors could affect the trajectory of their careers.

“I'd love to play with Quinn at some point,” Jack Hughes said Monday. “I’m not afraid to say it. Yeah, eventually I’d love to play with him. And whether that’s in New Jersey or at what time that takes, at some point I want to play with Quinn.”

Jack Hughes plays for New Jersey, where youngest brother Luke is an emerging contributor on defense, and is under contract through 2030. Quinn's deal is up after the 2026-27 season, and that situation has led to plenty of speculation about his future — far earlier than that talk would usually start for an elite player.

"Jack wasn’t the first one to bring it up, in fairness to him," Quinn said Wednesday. “Especially with how much noise there was last year, people want to know what direction the team’s going in. Is there a direction and whatnot, etc., etc.? So I can understand why it’s being brought up.”

The Canucks missed the playoffs after a chaotic season during which a feud between Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller became public. Miller was traded to the New York Rangers, coach Rick Tocchet decided to leave for Philadelphia and the drama around Hughes became a subject of conversation.

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FILE -New Jersey Devils' Luke Hughes, left, Vancouver Canucks' Quinn Hughes and Devils' Jack Hughes, who are brothres, pose for a photo before an NHL hockey game in Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Ethan Carins/The Canadian Press via AP, file)

Jack and Quinn, who could play together for the U.S. at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan, consider the matter just a little brotherly love across North America.

“I mean, he’s my brother,” Quinn said. "What’s he supposed to say, first of all? Like, ‘I don’t want to play with him,’ you know?

"I’m excited to be in Vancouver, and I feel like last year was a little bit of failure, so I feel like I got things to do there. And I know Jack, he loves Jersey, and he’s got stuff to do, also.”

Quinn bristled at the idea that Jack should not share his opinion about the situation, no matter how awkward it is.

“No, I don’t care at all,” Quinn said. "I think that’s just him being authentic, and if a fan base can’t understand why he would say that, that makes no sense to me.”

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