Thursday was a memorable night for USask Huskies defender Brooklyn Stevely as she made a remarkable return to the women’s hockey lineup.
“I definitely didn’t think I was going to be on the ice at all this year, so coming back for nationals was a huge honour,” Stevely said at USports nationals.
She was laying in a hospital bed just six months ago, after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, but on Thursday, she laced up her skates for her first game in over a year to make her season debut with the Huskies.
“When we came out and there were all the sparklers and all the fans for starting lineup, my hair, I felt it stood up on my arms,” she said.
Stevely underwent two surgeries after her diagnosis. She chose to stay in Saskatoon where she could be surrounded by her teammates.
Huskies captain Kennedy Brown said the team stood by her the entire way.
“All of us have stood by her entire journey the entire year,” Kennedy said. “To see her put that extra effort in over the last few months and dedicate herself to wanting to be here with us on the ice for nationals was incredibly special and I’m so proud of her.”
Stevely said she never doubted she would be back on the ice.
“Honestly there was no doubt in my mind. I was like if I get the green light to go, I’m going to go no matter what.”
By stepping onto the ice Thursday, Stevely burned a full year of her USports eligibility but said she has no regrets.
“Man, that’s a warrior,” said head coach Steve Kook. “Two and a half months ago, she’s in an entirely different situation.”
The team fell in the USports quarterfinals on home ice Thursday night, ending their hunt for a national championship.
Stevely said her journey has put her life in perspective.
“Everything else is actually really, really small and I think we forget about that sometimes and take things for granted. It’s really just made me take a step back and think of how special everything is and how lucky we all are.”
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