John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

(the “Trust”)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned does hereby constitute and appoint Betsy Ann Seel, Kinga Kapuscinski, Nicholas J. Kolokithas, Julie B. Lyman, Steven Sunnerberg, Christopher L. Sechler and Thomas M. Kinzler, each individually, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent (each an “Attorney-in-Fact”) with power of substitution or re-substitution, in any and all capacities in the furtherance of the business and affairs of the Trust to execute any and all state regulatory or other required filings, including all applications with regulatory authorities, state charter or organization documents and any amendments or supplements thereto, to be executed by, on behalf of, or for the benefit of, the Trust. The undersigned hereby grants to each Attorney-in-Fact full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing contemplated above, as fully and to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do in person, and hereby ratifies and confirms all that said Attorneys-in-Fact, individually or collectively, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

This Power of Attorney shall be revocable with respect to an undersigned at any time by a writing signed by such undersigned and shall terminate automatically if the undersigned ceases to be a Trustee or Officer of the Trust.

Dated: December 7, 2010

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