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They came to see the highly touted Quinn Hughes, Kole Lind and Michael DiPietro.

They left with a greater appreciation of Tyler Madden, Petrus Palmu and Jack Rathbone.

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The marquee attractions in the annual Summer Showcase had their moments Thursday at Rogers Arena — although Hughes looked like he was still feeling some effects of the flu and losing six pounds — but it was the sideshows who stole the show.

And nobody moved the Vancouver Canucks’ potential-meter more than Madden.

The son of former NHL centre John Madden gained notoriety at the 2018 draft when the Canucks passed on higher-scoring USHL centre Jack Wise (28 points in just 18 games) with the 68th overall selection. Wise was taken with the next pick by the Chicago Blackhawks. However, the Canucks saw something in the 5-foot-11, 152-pound Madden.

It was the way the centre was visible on shifts in the USHL by using his smarts and drive to get to the right areas and unleash a quick release. His 20 points (9-11) in 32 games didn’t tell the real story. Thursday was a pretty good chapter in his development.