Vinnie Hughes celebrates retirement

“A journey, from start to finish,” is how 12 year Melbourne veteran Vincent Hughes described his hockey career.

The 34-year-old stood before Melbourne Ice and Newcastle North Stars fans on Saturday night at the O’Brien Group Arena where he was given a heartfelt farewell into retirement from the team he spent the majority of his career.

“Walking in as a teenager on a men's team and then taking in everything all the way, but sort of sitting back and watching the change room change over the years,” Hughes said. “It's just been one of those great things that you know you can never take back and that I can look back now and really enjoy it and smile about it.”

Hughes ended his career at the beginning of the year, bringing a 205 game career to an end.

It was a great career, winning four Goodall Cups, including as a part of the Melbourne Ice’s three-peat squad where he was captain in 2011 and 2012, and with the Melbourne Mustangs in 2014.

Hughes played for the Melbourne Ice for 10 years before moving to the Mustangs for his final two.

When asked what prompted the move, he spoke about the teams he played for being a family – for better and for worse.

“I've always had a spot in my heart for the Mustangs,” Hughes said. “But let's be honest, you don't really play for a club. You're playing pro hockey or you're playing amateur, but you're in a family and families have turmoils - you forgive and forget. At the end of the day it's just a game, and everybody loves everybody.”

Prior to playing for the Ice, Hughes played Junior Hockey in Canada, and then eventually played for EV Dingolfing in the German Bayern league for a year, and was then traded to ERC Lechbruck in the same league, where he played for another year.

“I did all my junior Hockey in Canada, and then I had the decision to get a degree and play college hockey, but I was stubborn enough to turn around and go "right oh, I just want to party and have fun, so I'll just go to Germany and sign a contract and get paid to play hockey,” Hughes said.

So what’s next for Vinnie Hughes now?

“Family, thriving business, just happy days. Watching hockey and sitting upstairs with a smile on my face.”