Minnesota Hockey Journal

December 2018

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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 20 Hughes began chemotherapy the next day. After 10 rounds, she went in to the doctor to find out how much the tumor had shrunk. It hadn't. Her heart sank. Hughes' best chance at survival and living a long, healthy life was to amputate her right leg, hip and half of her pelvis, which she had done in June of 2010. An additional 17 rounds of chemotherapy later, Hughes was cancer-free and she began transitioning to a new normal. She graduated high school on time with her classmates in 2012, and prepared to attend college at the University of Minnesota- Duluth that fall. It was hardly an easy road. There were many obstacles—new challenges and unfa- miliar territory ahead. Everyday activities suddenly became completely different. But Hughes was determined to remain positive throughout her recovery. Even in the midst of adversity, her contagious smile and upbeat attitude were unwavering. "All of that was just temporary stuff," she said. "I knew that, eventually, I would get through it and that there would be a lot of things to look forward to afterward." JOINING THE TEAM A few months after McPhail introduced Hughes to the sport, he brought her down Interstate 35 to the Twin Cities to check out the Minnesota Wild sled hockey team—the team he played on. It wasn't long before Hughes' name was added to the roster. A lifelong hockey fan, Hughes was thrilled to finally jump into the sport she had always wanted to try. "Having the opportunity to be able to play was exciting, because my family is a huge hockey family," she said. "It was kind of fun to actually be able to play the sport that I wanted to play growing up." Hughes was also thankful to have a friend on the team to show her the ropes. McPhail had grown up playing hockey, but his career was put on hold when he was checked into the boards in juniors and became paralyzed from the waist down. "Ezra knew everything there was to know about hockey, so I think I got really lucky that he was the person that I ran into, because he was so experienced when it came to the sport," Hughes said. "He was in a wheelchair when I met him, but he can walk now, so he's made a ton of progress." As Hughes practiced with the Minnesota Wild sled hockey team every weekend, she got better and better. She was the only woman on the team—and still is—but that doesn't faze her. "I was definitely intimidated when I first started, because it's all men and they're all a lot bigger and faster and stronger than I am," Hughes said. "But now they're kind of all just like big brothers to me. It's super fun, and I absolutely love it." RED, WHITE AND BLUE The opportunity to play with the Minnesota Wild sled hockey team prepared Hanna for the 2016-17 season, when she was named to the U.S. Women's Sled Hockey Team. Now in her third season in a red, white and blue jersey, Hanna competes with women from all over the country. She's the only Minnesotan in the group—along with head coach and Duluth, Minn., native, Shawna Davidson. "It's kind of surreal, going from thinking I'd never play a sport again to playing a sport at this level," Hughes said. "It's something I never thought I'd be able to do, so I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to do it." Though Hughes is used to playing with all men, the opportunity to compete with an all-female team is special. "It's nice being able to play with all girls— people your size," Hughes said. "Also, just the whole dynamic of being able to play with girls, it's a different sort of relationship because they're all like sisters to me. It's a lot of fun and we all really enjoy getting together when we get to play together." Like Hughes, many of the women on the U.S. Women's Sled Hockey Team are the only females—or one of a few—on their hometown teams. They only get to see each other about every month or so, but that time together is cherished. "You can tell," Davidson said. "They refer to it as their sisterhood and they value their time together on and off the ice. It's a very social group, which is good and healthy. From our youngest 13-year-old, to 40-plus— we've got moms on the team with kids. They all embrace and care about each other and want each other to be better." The team often plays against sled hockey teams from different states. But this year, they've also had the chance to travel with the U.S. Men's Development Sled Hockey Team HANNA HUGHES Photos / Kelsey Cherwinka, courtesy of Hanna Hughes

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