There was a lot of emotion in the arena in Jönköping when Sanni Hakala returned for the first time following the accident that left her paralyzed. Hakala was celebrated before relegation for the SHL match between HV71 and Skellefteå.
“Sanni! Sanni! Sanni!”
The crowd chanted Sanni Hakala’s name as she was back in Husqvarna Garden for the first time since the accident. Hakala was wheeled onto the ice by her partner Danielle Stone and was seen waving to the crowd, visibly moved by the tribute.
It was in November last year that the accident occurred. The HV71 captain crashed headfirst into the goalpost and it was later determined that she was paralyzed from the chest down. In addition, the function of her hands has deteriorated.
“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 so many years, but that I may have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life,” she wrote on Instagram in December.
Successful career
26-year-old Hakala, who comes from Jyväskylä, represented the Jönköping club HV71 from autumn 2016. Before that, she had won FM gold with JYP in the 2015-2016 season. In the spring of 2020, Hakala won the Swedish points league.
With the women’s lions, Hakala won two Olympic bronzes, one WC silver and two WC bronzes.
After the injury, her partner, Canadian Danielle Stone, has been a great support. She also plays Stone in HV71.