Minnesota Duluth's Gabbie Hughes wins Hockey Humanitarian Award

DULUTH — When the Minnesota Duluth women's hockey team was in Minneapolis for the NCAA tournament in early March, Gabbie Hughes went to coach Maura Crowell with an off-day ask: Was it OK if she took off for a bit? The nonprofit organization she helped to start had a table at a nearby expo.

"I said, 'As long as it's good for you,'" Crowell recalled telling the Bulldogs' co-captain. "'Is that a good distraction for you right now?' She said, 'Yes. Absolutely.'"

It's not been unusual this season for Hughes to jet off to events for Sophie's Squad, a mental health awareness organization geared toward athletes and named for family friend Sophie Wieland, who died by suicide in 2021 when she was 14. But this time, before Hughes could go, Crowell had big news for her.

Hughes had been selected as the winner of the Hockey Humanitarian Award given annually to a college player who has shown off-ice leadership. The award was presented Friday at a ceremony in Tampa, Fla., during the NCAA men's Frozen Four. Hughes appeared virtually — she is currently in Brampton, Ontario, making her debut for the U.S. National Team at the Women's World Championships.

"It's a huge honor to be recognized for the efforts and the amount of stuff that I have done for Sophie's Squad and the sacrifices I've made — it's nice to be recognized for that," she said in a video interview. "It's not just about me winning the award. I'm extremely excited for what it brings for Sophie's Squad and mental health awareness all around."

Hughes has been involved from the start, before the organization had a name or defined course of action. She knew Sophie — a Sartell girl she describes as having internal beauty, talent and kindness — from the Skate to Excellence program her father, Terry Hughes, coaches. After she died, those who knew Sophie vowed she wouldn't be forgotten.

In 2022-23, Sophie's Squad has held 19 events — including a golf tournament, hockey games, a 5K run — and raised $289,000 for its causes, according to Matt Lee, a founding board member of the group. The organization donated $50,000 to Children's Minnesota in late 2022 to help pay for an athletic play area for its inpatient mental health unit. Hughes, who was a standout player at Centennial High School, presented the check.

As Hughes considered the Humanitarian award — which she ranks high in her achievements — she thought about the new audience the organization would be hitting with this announcement. So far her work has been done mostly at the high school Division I women's hockey levels. Now it's reached the NCAA men's Frozen Four.

After graduation, Hughes wants to grow its reach even more.

"She's got such a big heart for helping people," Lee said. "She's an athlete, she's been in those shoes, she's sought help."

Hughes' work has shown up in the Bulldogs locker room, according to Crowell, where the athlete consistently checks in on how her teammates are doing and passes along mental health resources.

"She's made it just part of every day conversation," Crowell said.

On the ice, forward Hughes finished her fifth season with 81 goals, 133 assists to rank among the all-time point leaders.

"It speaks volumes to the work she has done," said Crowell. "The incredible part is not only the success of the organization, but how good she is at hockey. She's a legend. She's just an incredible athlete who somehow found the time and passion."