‘It’s a day to honour our boy’: ‘Skate for Tate’ event celebrates life of young hockey fan in Moncton, N.B.

Talia, Craig and Austin Hughes are pictured at the second annual 'Skate for Tate' event at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, N.B.

Hundreds of people laced up their skates Sunday morning to remember a little boy who loved hockey.

The second annual “Skate for Tate” took place at Moncton’s Avenir Centre to celebrate the short life of Tate Hughes, a five-year-old who died suddenly on Jan. 2, 2024.

“It’s a day to honour our boy,” said Craig Hughes, Tate’s father.

Tate, or “Tater” as he was known around the rink, played for the U-7 Moncton Blue Jays and was an honorary member of his big brother Austin’s team, the Hawks.

It’s been a little over a year since he passed, but Tate’s mother Talia said her son is still very much in the hearts of Moncton and its hockey community.

“Seeing that so many people have come out to love him and remember him and to continue to speak his name and wear his name on their shirts, it’s more than anything we could ever ask for,” said Talia. “It’s so heartwarming for us as a family.”

Craig said he had a hard time describing how it felt to see so many people wearing jerseys and t-shirts with his son’s name. He said being surrounded by Tate and Austin’s friends was overwhelming.

“It’s emotional, but it’s really good,” said Craig. “It warms the heart. It’s healing for us for sure and especially for Tate’s older brother Austin for him to be surrounded like this is amazing.”

Talia said Tate loved being a mascot to his brother’s team.

“He had his little Hawks costume that he wore,” Talia said. “He was always at the door fist-pumping the boys. In the dressing room, getting them pumped up, waiting to fist pump them on the way out of the room. He was just so involved with all of those kids.”

It was also an important day for Molly Cormier and her six-year-old son Theo who went to daycare and kindergarten with Tate.

“Tate was my very best friend and I’m having a lot of fun here and I have this jersey and it’s making me skate really fast,” said Theo.

Cormier said they appreciated any chance to talk about Tate and his legacy.

“We find that a day like today is really what Tate would love to be doing,” Cormier said. “Just having fun with his friends, being silly, skating. That’s always what he loved to do.”

Tate’s memory lives on at the arena where he played with the Blue Jays. A photo of him proudly wearing his uniform is encased in glass next to two pucks with his name and jersey on them.

“The rink was such a safe and happy place for him,” said Talia. “He had started going there when he was two-weeks old and was in there almost daily for his entire life. To just watch him grow in the rink and to be able to continue his memory this way and continuing to be in the rink is just absolutely wonderful for us.”

Friends and family sold Tate t-shirts and held a silent auction and 50/50 draw to raise money for Open Ice for Kids Inc., a not-for-profit organization that assists children who want to play hockey.

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