Starting Friday, some of the world’s greatest hockey gamers will face off in the Twin Cities at Grand Casino Arena and Mariucci Arena for the subsequent week and half.
Minnesota is internet hosting the 50th IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship, the place the greatest males’s gamers below the age of 20 will compete for the gold.
In honor of the competitors, the organizers of the occasion thought it additionally vital to honor the individuals behind the gamers — the mothers who helped make all of it occurred.
In November, 5 “Hockey Mom of the Year” finalists have been chosen and one was topped at a ceremony at Mall of America. She is Jacqueline Nowakowski of Lino Lakes, mother to 5-year-old Jake, 8-year-old Owen and 11-year Centennial peewee Leo.
“I’m happy to represent all hockey moms,” mentioned Jacqueline Nowakowski at the time. “We’re all doing it together, we’re all one big community.”
Hockey mothers are a community, one which Jacqueline Nowakowski had no concept she’d want as a lot as she does. In June, she was identified with breast most cancers.
“It was last week of school, and it was, ‘This is cancer.’ And at the time it was really scary,” she mentioned.
She underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy and had a mastectomy in October. Right away, there have been meal trains, present playing cards, carpool provides, pink shirts for Leo Nowakowski’s crew and pink hockey tape for his or her sticks.
Even hockey mothers who coached opposing groups chipped in.
“You think about the family, their kids, just how their lives are going to change, and whatever you can do to help,” mentioned Spring Lake Park coach Jess Scott.
The Nowakowski household was and continues to be glad about all that assist. But for Jacqueline Nowakowski herself, it was the quiet phrases of assist to her eldest son that mattered to her most.
“His peers would ask him, ‘How are you? How are things? How is your mom?'” she mentioned. “Just for people to ask that, you know, it meant a lot.”
She mentioned hockey introduced her household a way of normalcy in irregular occasions.
“He’ll look back and, he’s old enough to understand what happened this summer, what we’ve been through as a family,” she mentioned. “But he’ll also remember the good times. I’m thankful for that.”
Jacqueline Nowakowski should endure extra remedy in the New Year, however medical doctors say her prognosis seems to be good. She and her household are enthusiastic about attending as many World Junior hockey video games as they’ll.