OTTAWA — Gabbie Hughes won’t let anything get between her and victory — not even chipped teeth. Hughes sealed her two-goal performance with the game-winning score just 36 seconds after the start of overtime, leading the Ottawa Charge to a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the New York Sirens.
While Hughes departed the game with smiles of victory, she also bore the marks of battle, sharing the discomfort she endured: “I chipped about three or four of my teeth in one of the hits, a stick came up and my cage came up and hit my teeth, so I’m going to go get those fixed tomorrow,” she explained.
The second-year player recorded yet another impressive night, contributing not just two goals but also adding an assist to her tally. With this performance, Hughes has amassed eight points, including five goals, over her last five games. “I’ll be quite honest, during those kinds of moments, it’s a little bit of blackout — you get the adrenaline pumping, especially after it’s hard to recall,” Hughes said.
Hughes recalled the moment leading up to her overtime goal: “I remembered it almost going to our end and saying, ‘I need to make up for this.’ So I hurried up the ice and got the puck on my stick. My initial thought was pass, but I could hear the coach say, ‘shoot it,’ and I did, and it ended up working out.”
Ottawa head coach Carla MacLeod praised the team’s ability to create scoring opportunities, particularly highlighting Hughes: “The ability of us to get in front of goalies is getting progressively stronger, and you couple this with a shooting mentality. That’s really what’s helping to drive our offensive game.” She noted Hughes’s decisive moment: “It’s lovely to see her get rewarded for making such a good decision.”
Reflecting on her season, Hughes admitted it started slowly. Yet, she credits her pivotal moment to the mental health awareness game on February 13, during which Hughes scored two goals and provided one assist against the Minnesota Frost, contributing to their 8-3 victory. “That game really put things back on track for me, giving things the right perspective,” Hughes said. “It made me realize why I’m playing this sport, who I’m really playing for, and how important it is to continue to spread awareness.”
Hughes has been actively involved in mental health advocacy, having co-founded Sophie’s Squad in 2021 following the tragic suicide of her friend, 14-year-old Sophie Wieland. “Playing for the people back home and Sophie has become my driving force,” Hughes revealed. “That game was the turning point, and since then, I’ve just been going ever since.”
With moments of grit and resilience demonstrated both on and off the ice, Hughes's story isn't just about personal triumphs but also reflects her commitment to elevate important conversations around mental health through her sport. This battle with the New York Sirens serves as just another chapter in both her sports career and her advocacy work.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on February 26, 2025.