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Despite the inconspicuous look: Connor Hughes looks back on a crazy December.
Marcel AllemanReporter ice hockey
At the beginning of October, the world of Connor Hughes is different. He is the substitute goalie for Fribourg-Gottéron. A cheap solution, as number 2 behind national goalie Reto Berra. At that time he was only known to hockey insiders. Because before his time at the Saane, he played in the Swiss League for the Ticino Rockets and Langenthal.
But then Berra injured his back and had to undergo an operation. The clear number 2 becomes number 1 overnight. And suddenly the whole of Switzerland sees: This Hughes is really good! Friborg can easily resist the temptation to make do with a foreign goalie.
Events are rushing
November is rolling in. Hughes just keeps getting better and more confident. December follows, and in this month events are rushing for the 26-year-old Canadian-Swiss.
First, he is called up by national coach Patrick Fischer for the Swiss Hockey Games in Fribourg. How modest this guy is is shown by the fact that he doesn’t drive up to the national camp in a sports car, but rather in the city bus. There he reports to Blick: “I was a bit nervous. It’s crazy what has happened in the last three months.”
But it gets even crazier. Hughes actually makes his debut against the Czech Republic (1:2) with the national team. Almost at the same time, it became official that Hughes would switch to Lausanne for the next season. For the first time in his career, he has signed a big contract – Lausanne is not known for letting its hired staff starve.
Two national teams in 10 days
And then? Finally a few contemplative days with your loved one at Christmas to let it all settle? think! He gets a call from Team Canada. The equipment of their goalie Michael DiPietro got stuck somewhere. Can he help out? Hughes can hurry to Davos.
He packed for one night to provide the second goalie during ice training, in the end he stayed until Team Canada was eliminated. And even contests a match with the blessing of Swiss Ice Hockey. Two games with two different country selections within ten days – someone has to imitate him first.
Since his game at the Spengler Cup in Canada is being broadcast on TSN, the incoming messages on his cell phone are overflowing. “I got a lot of messages from people who hadn’t seen me play in years. They were surprised to see me in Canada dress,” he says with a hearty laugh.
Berra will be back soon
“Yes, it was all pretty crazy,” he has to admit, not for the first time this month. But as surreal as it all may seem for Connor Hughes in retrospect, he doesn’t want to lean back. But he already formulated his next goal in Davos: “I want to make it into the World Cup squad for the Swiss national team.”
But first a big challenge awaits him in Fribourg. And the many experiences during his crazy December will help Hughes face it. Because Reto Berra completed his first ice training at the end of the year and is in the process of reconstruction. A comeback at the end of January seems realistic.
National League 22/23
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