9-year-old Ukrainian refugee finds sense of home and happiness with Minneapolis hockey team
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Meet Margo — a 9-year-old girl who has made the long, difficult journey from a war-torn Ukraine to the State of Hockey. She arrived in October and of course, decided right away she wanted to become a hockey player.
Since then it has truly become a team effort.
The Minneapolis Storm Youth Hockey Association took care of her expenses and registration. Her coach and some teammates took her shopping for brand-new gear. Another family on the team drives Margo to all the practices.
“How could we not do this for her? Her whole life has been upended, totally out of her control,” said her coach, Drew Wood.
“Really, once you are out there on the ice and practice gets moving there’s no language necessary,” he said.
Of course, what’s been most meaningful doesn’t have anything to do with skating, stick handling or shooting.
“It feels like she is one of us,” said teammate Matilda Wood.
“The joy the kids get from each other, from goofing around out there, from actually playing hockey… that’s universal for sure,” Coach Wood said.