Emotional moments were spent in Sweden’s SDHL when Sanni Hakala returned in front of her home crowd.
In Sweden, a women’s ice hockey league match in November saw a grim situation when the Finnish captain of HV71 Sanni Hakala26, was seriously injured after crashing his head into the post in the match against Djurgården.
Hakala was operated on at Linköping University Hospital. Later, the Finnish striker said that he is paralyzed from the chest down. In addition, his hands function reduced.
– It is still difficult to understand what has happened. That the collision with the goal post was as serious as it was. That the consequences are so great. Not only that I have to stop playing hockey – something that has been such a big part of my life for many years – but that I might have to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, Hakala wrote.
Read more: Ice hockey player Sanni Hakala is paralyzed from the chest down – this is how she told about her tragic injury
Today, Hakala was honored in a great way before the match between HV71 and Skellefteå, writes, among other things SVT. Hakala was in the rink in her wheelchair before the start of the match. The audience gave a standing ovation and shouted Hakala’s name.
Hakala was present at the HV71 match for the first time after his injury.
Also Expressen report on the topic. According to the magazine, Hakala was obviously moved by the reception she received from the public.
The Hakala case has widely shocked Swedish ice hockey. Already at the end of November, after Hakala told about her injury, HV71 supporters had a sheet in the stands that read in Finnish: †Take care of Sanni†.
Hailing from Jyväskylä, Hakala represented the ping pong club HV71 from the fall of 2016. Before that, he had won the Finnish championship in JYP’s shirt in the season 2015-2016. In Sweden, Hakala won the point exchange for the playoffs in the spring of 2020.
Hakala has won two Olympic bronze medals, a World Championship silver and two World Championship bronzes in Naisleijon.
After the injury, Hakala’s partner, a Canadian, has been a great support Danny Stonewho also plays in HV71.
Hakala last updated her situation on Instagram around Christmas, when she published a joint photo with Stone.
– Tomorrow will be a month since the accident. We are still dealing with this new life, but we just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone for your support. Whether it’s messages, phone calls, visits or donations to fundraisers… Your support has helped us get through this so far and made us realize that we are truly not alone in this ¤ on the way, Hakala wrote.