Minnetonka’s Rory Guilday selected Class AA Herb Brooks Award winner

Rory Guilday, a senior defender on the Minnetonka High School girls hockey team, was selected the Class AA recipient of the Herb Brooks Award during the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Hockey State Tournament today at the Xcel Energy Center.

The award recognizes a state tournament participant that strongly represents the values, characteristics and traits that defined Herb Brooks, a St. Paul native and world hockey icon.

Guilday, who has played hockey since she was five years old, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016 that led to optic nerve glioma. She was sidelined from any contact sports and, for nearly a year, endured intensive chemotherapy. Although she lost the majority of eyesight in her right eye and fought to regain lost muscle and balance, she returned to skating. Through the challenges, she never wavered from her dreams to return to play hockey at a high level. Her drive, commitment and fortitude have paved the way to making the Minnetonka varsity team as a freshman and the U.S. National Training Camp. She has also earned a spot on the USA Hockey U18 Women’s National Team that won a gold medal against Canada in Slovakia just more than a year ago.  

“Rory shows up to the rink every single day with a smile on her face,” Skippers coach Tracy Cassano said. “She has earned the highest amount of respect and is loved by all of her teammates. This is why they are eager to follow her lead. She is incredibly coachable and is always wanting to learn and to grow as a hockey player. Rory enjoys playing the game the right way -- tough, hard, fast, strong, but with class and integrity. She is the ultimate person, hockey player, and teammate!”

Guilday will play Division I hockey at Cornell University.

She will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Herb Brooks Foundation.

Follow the Herb Brooks Foundation on Twitter at @HerbBrooksFDN