The Hockey News Morning Skate: Fowler Shines In Heritage Classic, Hughes Dominates Vancouver Return

James Carey Lauder-Imagn ImagesJames Carey Lauder-Imagn ImagesOct 26, 2026 1:39 PMPublished Oct 26, 2026 1:39 PMIn this edition of The Hockey News Morning Skate, Eric Cruikshank and Michael Traikos break down Jacob Fowler's impressive performance for the Montreal Canadiens at the Heritage Classic, Quinn Hughes' return to Vancouver as a member of the Minnesota Wild, and more.Welcome to The Hockey News Morning Skate, where we give a quick recap of all the action from the NHL every weekday morning so you stay up to date.There were 19 games between Friday and Sunday to recap, capped off with the Heritage Classic between the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets and Quinn Hughes' return to Vancouver.Let's run through the biggest storylines that emerged from the weekend, and make sure to check out the video version of this story above.Maple Leafs Pick Up Fourth Straight WinThe Toronto Maple Leafs managed to put up a touchdown and the extra point against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, securing a 7-2 victory for their fourth straight win. William Nylander scored twice, picking up his 300th career goal to become the fourth-fastest Swedish player in NHL history to reach that milestone.Related storiesGoaltender Anthony Stolarz was also a major reason for the Maple Leafs' success in this contest, making 30 saves, improving his record to 4-1-0 this season while allowing just four combined goals in his last two starts.Fowler Shines In Canadiens' Win At Heritage ClassicThe 2026 Heritage Classic took place at Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg on Sunday, with goaltender Jacob Fowler stealing the show for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old made 33 saves and allowed just one goal to help his team secure a 2-1 win over the Jets.After starting the season in the AHL, Fowler is now 5-1-0 in his six appearances this season while posting a .924 save percentage and a 1.79 goals-against average. Meanwhile, Jakub Dobes has struggled with an .847 SV% and a 4.47 GAA.Quinn Hughes Lights The Lamp In Return To Vancouver Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes made his highly-anticipated return to Vancouver and rose to the occasion, picking up a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Canucks, with their losing streak extending to 10 games.Hughes received boos from the Vancouver crowd throughout his video tribute and essentially every time he touched the puck. That was quite often, as the blueliner led all skaters with 26:10 of ice time on Sunday. His goal also made him the second-fastest American defenseman to record 500 regular-season points.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.