Tina Hughes

[tinafrombobsburgers 442]

 

 

Tina Hughes, was born in Orlando Florida in 1999. Tina was the oldest of 3 children, two siblings a brother Gene Hughes and sister Louise Hughes. Gene also grew up playing hockey along side Tina and at times was even better; Once Tina turned 13 he immedialty took off; the difference in skill between Tina and his peers was night and day and unfortunately Gene didn’t quite have the skill to make it as far. Louise was in figure skating at a very young age and Tina and Gene would often accompany Louise at an early age which would show in their years of hockey with how effortlessly they can move their feet. 

 

Tina was always a likeable person through his years of school, and was a smart student to boot; once he turned 14 he started to move around the country and billet with families and play for different schools. His dream of playing for the University of Michigan  was  inevitably reached when he had a huge year for the American National Program and became a shoe in to go to his dream school with his skill and good grades. 

 

In Tina’s first year in University he started off a little slow getting used to the college speed and skill that comes with every team. As a freshman he would finish with 29 points in 37 games which would lead his team defensemen in assists and points. Tina would follow that up in his sophomore season with 33 points in 32 games which also lead all defensemen in the league in assist and points. 

 

 

On the ice Tina constantly would back up the hype and show why he has the skill and poise to really make an impact professionally; off ice though is what really makes Tina, Tina. Even while playing these high stake games night in and night out, maintaining an A grade average throughout his course load, Tina maintained relationships with people close to him, worked hard in the community and worked closely with the local fire department in Michigan. Volunteering with them week nights and off days from games.  

 

Tina’s father Bob Tina owned a little burger restaurant called Bob’s burgers located in Seymour’s Bay , New Jersey. Tina would spent most of his childhood with his siblings in this restaurant often helping their father with extra chores around the restaurant, cleaning up after customers and eventually working there in the summers when school was out. In the fall of 2017 Bob’s burgers would burn down from an alleged Arson attack. The culprits were never found and although not a lack of trying and help from the community the Hughes family could not simply financially recover and rebuild the restaurant. 

 

This was Tina’s father’s dream and it may have been a simple dream to some but it meant everything to Bob and everything to Tina and his siblings. Bob went down a bad path after this happened and hasn’t worked since. Tina is constantly involving his father in his daily hockey life and that was another passion they shared growing up. Tina calls his father before and after every single game; for Tina it’s a routine , a pre game ritual if you will, for Bob it’s now his everything. 

 

Tina worked effortlessly with Fire Departments wherever he was because it hit home for him. He feels like he can’t help Bob fully get over that loss so he tries to give back the only way he knows how. 

 

Once Tina finished University he was still a few months shy of being eligible for the VHLM draft but was always garnering interest from many teams to sign as a waiver pick up. This would allow Tina exposure to the league and a leg up for the draft the following season once he was of age. Throughout the many offers Tina mauled over one really stuck out and that was Miami. After the incident with the fire Tina’s parents moved back home to where they raised the kids in Orlando Florida; being only a 3 hour drive from Miami it was almost a no brainer for Tina to pick to play for the Marauders. 

 

Tina would officially sign to play his first season with the Miami Marauders. Tina’s entire family was there for his first game and of course hours before puck drop Tina would get a call from his father. “Let me leave you with one more thing son, do not take any second of this for granted, you’re living out your dream, have fun every second”. Tina knew being closer to his family and being able to play professional hockey in front of his family and specially his dad could only help Bob get out of the funk he had been in. 

 

After completing his first full season of professional hockey Tina had made more money than he ever thought he would and more money than the family business would make in 10 years, Tina would go on to reopen his fathers famous Bob’s Burgers in New Jersey, and although he knew he wouldn’t be as close to his parents every day Tina knew he’d always have those game day calls. 
 

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I like Bob's Burgers.