GAINING PERSPECTIVE
Brother’s illness inspired Blade
Growing up with three hockey-playing brothers, Ryan Hughes has deftly stickhandled his way around some of life’s unexpected bumps that are much more than mere pylons in an obstacle course.
Hughes — acquired by the Saskatoon Blades from the Portland Winterhawks last week at the Western Hockey League trade deadline for Josh Paterson and two draft picks — is the second-oldest of four boys who all play hockey.
The youngest, Ethan, is a cancer survivor who had a kidney removed two seasons ago when a Wilm’s tumour was discovered. Ethan went through 19 rounds of chemotherapy while his older brother Ryan gained some perspective. The cancer scare also accentuated how much his youngest brother and family truly mean to him.
“I think it really hit me when I came home for Christmas (two years ago),” recalls Hughes, whose Blades return to WHL action Friday night at home (7 p.m., Sasktel Centre) against the Regina Pats.
“I went to one of his chemotherapy sessions. Just seeing him in the hospital, that kind of sucked. Throughout the season, he would always watch (webcasts of) our games and stuff, so I just kind of played for him. It made it easier knowing that he was watching.”
Parents Brian and Pauline did their best to shield the brothers from knowing the seriousness of Ethan’s plight.
Ryan, who was in Portland at the time, says his parents “did a good job of not letting us know how severe” it was.
“They kind of dimmed it down and made it seem like it wasn’t as bad as it really was, which kind of helped not knowing the full effect it had on him,” Ryan said.
Ethan was 10 years old at the time, playing atom hockey for Edmonton’s Whitemud West Badgers.
“Him being the little man of the family, it sucked to see him down and out like that,” Ryan said. “He’s a tough kid. He’s probably the toughest of all four of us. We had no doubt he was going to battle through it.”
Today, 12-year-old Ethan is cancer-free and playing pee wee hockey for Edmonton’s Canadian Athletic Club (CAC).
“He’s all better now; he’s doing well,” said Ryan, now in his fourth full season in the WHL.
Older brother Cameron Hughes, 22, is playing for the AHL’S Providence Bruins, after attending the NCAA’S University of Wisconsin for four years.
Another brother Liam, 16, is playing midget for the Canadian Athletic Club in Edmonton.
Ryan said Ethan, the youngest of them all, is also the best of them all.
“He’s fast,” Ryan said. “He’s a goal-scorer and he’s not scared of anybody.”
Although their dad played a little bit of hockey, he’s more of a football guy. Once he was done high school, he started his own business.
Their mom had worked for the Edmonton Rush in a public relations capacity before the lacrosse franchise moved to Saskatoon.
“I don’t know if she still keeps in touch with some of the players and stuff, but she still follows it,” Ryan said.
“I was telling her that I have to get out to a game now … Our (Blade and Rush) schedules are opposite, so it’s tough.”
A NATIVE OF EDMONTON
Hughes grew up in west Edmonton, playing minor hockey for Whitemud West and then bantam and midget for the CAC.
He grew up idolizing NHLER Patrick Kane — “I’ve watched him a lot” — and former NHL great Joe Sakic.
“I remember meeting him (Sakic) in Vancouver at a spring tournament when I was younger,” said Hughes.
“He’s such a great guy, a guy you can look up to like that.”
The five-foot-eight, 160-pound Hughes has 18 goals and 24 assists for 42 points in 38 games this season, including a goal and assist in two games with the Blades. He’s a smaller, dynamic player who likes to play a speed game and create things offensively.
His long-term goal is to make it to the next level.
“Playing in the NHL is a dream I’ve had since I was three years old,” Hughes said. “I grew up watching NHL hockey. It’s the best league in the world. That’s kind of the goal.”
Immediate goals this season is a long-awaited playoff run with the Blades.
“I know they haven’t made the playoffs in the last five years or so,” Hughes said.
“I think this year, to make the playoffs and try and make a good run with a good team and good group of guys, that’s the goal in the room and for the fans to know that’s our goal.”
It’s been a week since Hughes arrived in Saskatoon. He says he’s starting to settle in. While he hasn’t got lost in the city, he hasn’t been to too many places other than the rink.
“I know how to get home from the rink, so that’s good,” Hughes said with a chuckle. ‘It’s starting to get a little easier. It’s starting to feel a bit more comfortable. The guys have all been really good. It’s been nice.”
Hughes says what he enjoys most about hockey is just coming to the rink every day and getting to do what you love.
“It’s pretty fun,” Hughes said. “You don’t have much worry in the world other than playing hockey.”
It’s a good way to escape some of life’s unforeseen obstacles.