Hughes, a 2022 Hockey Humanitarian finalist last March, is one of three repeat finalists for the award, which is celebrating its 28th season, and is presented annually to college hockey's finest citizen — a student-athlete who makes significant contributions not only to his or her team but also to the community-at-large through leadership in volunteerism.
One of only three players in NCAA Division I women's hockey history to be named both a Patty Kazmaier Top-3 Finalist and a Hockey Humanitarian Finalist, Hughes currently leads UMD with 39 points this season (9g, 40a) through 31 games, and last Saturday became the fifth all-time leading scorer in program history. But her nomination rests not on her on ice heroics, but her remarkable efforts off of it.
Hughes, who is now the first player in program history to be named a finalist in back-to-back years, is a co-founder of the non-profit Sophie's Squad, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the mental health of athletes from the youth level to college by raising awareness of mental health issues and removing the stigma associated with getting help. Sophie's Squad has had a year any nonprofit would be proud of, and as of February 10, 2023, $277,696 has been raised for the organization. While the $50,000 donation to Children's Minnesota is by far the organization's biggest single donation, a majority of funds raised by Sophie's Squad events goes back into awareness events, providing educational resources and materials, as well as merchandise to student athletes participating in the events.
So far, Sophie's Squad has held more than 39 different events. And Hughes, who was part of the inception and creation of Sophie's Squad, is as involved in as many events as she can reasonably be, doing everything from serving as a keynote speaker to helping coordinate and run events, as well as running most social media accounts. A spokesperson who has taken on a number of roles in the organization, Hughes is busy as ever. A co-founder, ambassador, committee member, social media director and volunteer as just some of the hats the hockey center has worn for the last 18 months. Just this past December, Hughes worked with UMD athletics and Sophie's Squad to create the first-ever collegiate double-header Sophie's Squad game, a Hockey Hits Back game for mental health awareness. That day at AMSOIL alone, Sophie's Squad raised more than $9,000 to help bring the conversation of mental health to the forefront.
Five finalist remain candidates for the award:
- Jacobs Adkins/Andrew Walker - UMass Boston
- Ryan Herpy - Albertus Magnus
- Gabbie Hughes - Minnesota Duluth
- Hannah Price - Rensselaer
- Will Rosen - Saint Anselm
The 2023 recipient will be announced on Friday, April 7th during the NCAA Men's Frozen Four weekend in Tampa, Florida.
