“Right away I knew she was going to be a star,” said Sydney Brodt who played at UM-Duluth with Hughes.
From Centennial High School, to UMD, to winning gold at the women’s world championships, Hughes has had success at every level.
“She’s elite,” Brodt said. “She’s one of the best in the game right now.”
Hughes and her USA teammates recently practiced at the National Sports Center for the upcoming Rivalry Series against Canada that takes place in Arizona and California.
“I get to play in some warm places and get to play against some of the best girls in the world,” said Gabbie Hughes.
The USA-Canada border battle is just a precursor for the next step in Gabbie’s career.
“We’re gearing up for this new professional league,” Hughes said. “As soon as the rivalry series is over we’re all heading out to our respective cities.”
Ottawa-bound
For Gabbie that means going to Ottawa and getting ready to skate in the newly minted Professional Women’s Hockey League.
“It’s really exciting,” Hughes said.
In September, Hughes was chosen in the fourth round by Ottawa at the PWHL draft in Toronto.
“You didn’t really know what to expect,” Hughes said. “You’re kind of going in blind, not knowing what the event will look like. As soon as the doors opened for their purple carpet it was amazing. The building was packed. You felt like a professional athlete. It was unbelievable to hear my name called. My family was all there to see. It was a really special moment.”
This upcoming chapter in Gabbie’s storied career means she and other PWHL players will be trailblazers – creating opportunity for females to finally play pro hockey.
“It’s amazing to think about how far women’s hockey has come,” Hughes said. “I remember coming in my freshman year at Duluth and people would ask, ‘what’s next after college?’ There wasn’t really too many options. Now to think that five years after school there is this new professional league that is paying something you can live off of. It’s unbelievable.”
Whether she is playing center or left wing, Gabbie Hughes is an impact player on the ice.
“It’s just been awesome to see her grow over her career,” said Brodt who will play for Minnesota in the PWHL. “We lived together in college and we’re really close. It’s been fun.”
“I’m a hard worker,” Hughes said. “I am constantly driving to make my teammates better and myself better. In games I think I have good vision and playmaking ability for setting people up for success.”
“She’s going to do great,” Brodt said. “I’m super excited for her just signing that contract.”
Hockey trial balloon
The initial PWHL season is a trial balloon that Hughes hopes becomes a permanent option for female players. There are six teams in the PWHL, but that could grow if the league has success.
“I can’t wait to see where this league goes,” Hughes said. “Hopefully it continues to grow and it sticks around. We’re just looking to have a really good first year and see where next year takes us.”
Whatever happens, 2024 is going to be a year of change for Hughes as she gets ready to play in Ottawa.
“I’m just excited to get to the capital of Canada and see what the city’s all about,” Hughes said.
The Twin Cities PWHL team is going to play home games at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Hughes says she is excited to skate in that arena when Ottawa and Minnesota play.
