Top 10 Hockey Things to Do in Minneapolis
In Minneapolis, hockey has a rich history and a passionate contingent of players, coaches and fans. Around the city, you’ll be sure to find something to whet your hockey appetite. But there are a few experiences every resident or visitor who loves hockey should add to their Minneapolis to-do list.
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=f9bcab3f21a2a8a93a9fd500517a64aa 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=02207239c8073d5fa39c36005a92fd7e 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=4abbd6ceeac826c3f584e34f8b3e2fe0 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=002b60df308dd1b518e4327acfc66755 1024w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=8c97280aa57b2eaf568f2299176f1e25 1200w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=d4ccdb2a8380810c742985b1eea6dd11 1440w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=27ed0110506bc98f77a7fea3a3775ab3 1920w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=db4853e72071d254e574f5713b575955 2560w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Winter-Events-2018-Pond-Hockey-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=3210dffff26ddee9fa21738b2905af08 3840w)
Here in Minnesota, hockey is strongly woven into our fabric of life. Learning to skate, shoot and stickhandle is a rite of passage for countless Minnesota kids every winter in cities and towns across the state. Hockey in the North Star State is about trudging through the snow to reach the warming house at the local park. It’s about skipping school or work to go to or watch the state high school tournament. It’s about hockey moms and dads. It’s about youth, high school and college rivalries. It’s about Mites, Squirts, PeeWees, Bantams and a nation-leading population of girls’ hockey players.
Right here in Minneapolis, hockey has a rich history and a passionate contingent of players, coaches and fans. As the largest city in the State of Hockey, Minneapolis is chock-full of hockey-related activities. Around the city (and in surrounding communities), you’ll be sure to find something to whet your hockey appetite. But there are a handful of experiences every resident or visitor who loves hockey should add to their Minneapolis to-do list.
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/lake-of-the-isles-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=e42eaa2a9a49e781e4bfc55cea3dec90 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/lake-of-the-isles-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8dfc3c491e8bce05ae185407eb70089a 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/lake-of-the-isles-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=647f4c41ac97743e97dc1b396f1d9d14 550w)
1. Play Pick-up Hockey Outside
There is perhaps nothing as pure in the game as heading to a pond, lake or park to take part in the age-old tradition of pick-up hockey. You lace up your skates in the warming house or in a snowbank, head out onto the rink and throw your stick at center ice where a kid with a stocking cap pulled over his eyes tosses sticks in either direction to determine the teams. From there, it’s fun, creative hockey where the score doesn’t really matter, coaches are non-existent and lifting the puck is strictly prohibited.
In Minneapolis, we’re blessed with the second-most ice rinks per capita of cities in the United States, with perhaps the most popular outdoor hockey spot being on Lake of the Isles. There, you will find recreational rinks for hockey while the rest of the frozen lake is perfect for skaters of all skill levels. It’s just one site among many in the city to offer fun outside on a frozen sheet of ice. For more suggestions of Minneapolis places to lace up the skates in the great outdoors, check our favorite places to go ice skating.
Can’t find a game at your local outdoor rink? Or perhaps it’s a little too warm for a game of pond hockey? No problem. Head to neighboring Roseville and the Guidant John Rose MN Oval which features the largest artificial outdoor skating surface in North America. Go there during any public skating time from November to March, and you’re sure to find a pick-up game.
Pictured above: Lake of the Isles
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=0cbf79ef7f4fada4f861b7f09e5ca63b 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=34d64626307caa877ae80982d0939e31 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=8b9f61fabf1629b812afdc34484c428d 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=2252cb4cdebf540ceae505d967b15a6a 1024w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=3da2b3e2363c15a277ef4d1563f2dbd5 1200w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=3927287ca621c97ba86bae3775bc4b2e 1440w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=94886df7f0f2888c2c3d8931a224539e 1920w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Great_Northern_USPond_Hockey_CREDIT_Krivit_Photo_Courtesy_of_MeetMinneapolis-19.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=cb91c087430c5d668f8a83391c86744c 2510w)
2. Compete in the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships
You’ve honed your game at the park or the pond to the point that you’d like to take it to another level. You’re in luck. Minnesota offers several pond hockey tournaments where you and your buddies can test your mettle against teams from around the state and nation. Chief among the outdoor hockey tournaments is the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, contested each January on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. It’s a strictly amateur, just-for-fun tournament (the players themselves shovel the rinks before games), though some teams have ringers with pro and college hockey experience. It’s good-natured chaos, with team names like the Mighty Drunks and The Little Lebowskis, with a persistent, underlying concern that the beer will run out before the end of the day. Not a chance.
Pictured above: U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis (photo: Krivit Photography)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Bill-St-Mane-Sporting-Goods.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a8f4d263b21ebbe3ab7ac87c4f203387 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Bill-St-Mane-Sporting-Goods.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=bf7ca04ca73d81926bb76f6504e8be47 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Bill-St-Mane-Sporting-Goods.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=b7a6fc1b1d89adc40a7b3e966a1a7ace 550w)
3. Visit a Small Local Hockey Shop
If you’re going to play the game, you better make sure your skates are sharpened. And why not take your skates to a place where the person sharpening your blades knows your name? While there are plenty of options, there’s something special about bringing your skates to a local mom-and-pop shop. In South Minneapolis, the go-to spot is Bill St. Mane Sporting Goods, but the city is surrounded by a plethora of options to sharpen those blades, from the legendary Strauss Skates in Maplewood to General Sports in Edina.
Pictured above: Bill St. Mane Sporting Goods (photo: Vintage Minnesota Hockey)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=66ef0791e17f680a181bc61623207459 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=026503df0674885ad9358ebccf01c8b6 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=5d3fa2835a9b361b83b8f2ead33134a8 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=5616d0adad4397666d7e5301a1387370 1024w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=35067e220fce50c4d5a213ef734cc7db 1200w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=4dce69ba2462df5541a4237e635cba1f 1440w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=ddf05d05dcb25b0da0a4769bd67f443d 1920w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minneapolis-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=53d8f04ead5224c213b33df4b63cd6d0 2048w)
4. Attend a High School Hockey Game
Ready to take a break from skating and want to watch the future stars from the State of Hockey? There is no shortage of opportunities in Minneapolis and beyond. In the city, the best spot to take in a high school hockey game is Parade Ice Garden. Just steps from downtown, Parade features three rinks – two full-size hockey rinks and one studio rink – and serves as the home of the Minneapolis boys’ and girls’ varsity teams. Just outside the city are a plethora of iconic rinks, from Bloomington Ice Garden, Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, Braemar Arena in Edina and many, many more.
Although the boys’ and girls’ high school state tournaments take place across the river in St. Paul (more on that below), the section tournaments to determine the state participants are hosted in arenas across the state, including Minneapolis. Parade Ice Garden routinely hosts section final games, as does the University of Minnesota’s 3M Arena at Mariucci. For a lot of high school hockey fans, nothing matches the passion and emotion on display in these games to determine who earns a trip to St. Paul and who stays home.
Pictured above: Minneapolis vs. Providence Academy at Parade Ice Garden
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnehaha-ice-arena.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=8e62d05b64ab4ffa2798486b4b6fa585 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnehaha-ice-arena.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=dc3ee10bb09a6d1da9f7457e1dc5f7f1 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnehaha-ice-arena.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=3e1456fea7046b9c6304dc7a6cf5074f 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnehaha-ice-arena.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=094da9b8fd7067afaeee4f866c73a482 1024w)
5. Experience a Game in One of Minnesota's Coldest Arenas
You haven’t experienced “cold” until you’ve watched a hockey game in one of the state’s most frigid ice arenas. In Minneapolis, try Minnehaha Ice Arena or Northeast Ice Arena and enjoy the odd feeling of needing to go outside in the middle of a Minnesota winter to warm up. For more toe-numbing experiences near Minneapolis, head to Osseo Ice Arena (specifically the west rink) or Shoreview Ice Arena.
Pictured above: Minnehaha Ice Arena (photo: Vintage Minnesota Hockey)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=1fdd793835c733974536834c5c28bd8b 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=df10ffd360ce1a65dc04b62f657bc2e6 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=512934d3dc214ba000e525905a762b28 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=9862d43e4a83d1eccb3b4b7b27160d3f 1024w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=7619e97d5b2f1768ff12488268710c70 1200w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=a6df2d40e3ada4efc077644afd311ac1 1440w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=ee3cb42d24db4db92fee3dd5ebb14ecb 1920w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=2506578286dac6cb3a8a9022be354719 2560w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Leddy-Nick-Stanley-Cup.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=cd75b887920bb93b2f1b0ef995913065 3840w)
6. See The Stanley Cup When a Minnesotan Inevitably Brings It to His Hometown Each Summer
Every summer at a pair of cities across North America, the Stanley Cup Final is contested to determine who gets to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup. And, almost annually, a Minnesota native is a member of each season’s NHL champion and is awarded with a day to spend with the 34-pound trophy. What that means is that, although the Wild has yet to win hockey’s biggest prize, the Stanley Cup is likely to make an appearance somewhere in the State of Hockey. Usually, the player will bring the Cup to his childhood hockey arena, allowing the public a chance to get their picture taken with the 3-foot-tall trophy. Minneapolis boasts four players with their names inscribed on the Stanley Cup – Cully Dahlstrom, Virgil Johnson, Tom Kurvers and Tom Chorske.
Pictured above: Former Eden Prairie HS and University of Minnesota defenseman Nick Leddy won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013 (pictured at 3M Arena at Mariucci)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Minneapolis-girls-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=e7eb50949962c2b498c66a9b7e261dea 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Minneapolis-girls-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=fb484576cb67353005a50ecae7f4b2e0 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Minneapolis-girls-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=def57c45e073ab18384c9a839e7c2b5e 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/Minneapolis-girls-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=b4b56fd8aaa196009a9cca18ebb5bc30 1024w)
7. Watch a Youth Hockey Game
Those homegrown Stanley Cup champions got their start in hockey as Mites, Squirts, PeeWees and Bantams at rinks across Minnesota. Stop in any one of those arenas – including Minneapolis’ Parade Ice Garden and Northeast Ice Arena – to see the next generation of possible NHL stars or Olympians playing the game they love with their neighborhood buddies. There’s never a cost to attend and you’re sure to be impressed by the skills displayed by even the youngest of skaters.
Pictured above: Minneapolis youth hockey goalie
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-und-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=85481ff7169d4139e0c2f1c937ea193e 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-und-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=086dce01f8c7a0c7c62db4ed1faa91ad 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-und-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=8df50c16b0f2cfbbe3f0026331669e53 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-und-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=275ecfe85641c0c5f0d092f1174378cb 860w)
8. Catch a Minnesota vs. Wisconsin or North Dakota Men's Hockey Game
Just outside of downtown sits 3M Arena at Mariucci, a 10,000-seat maroon and gold shrine to University of Minnesota men’s hockey. When archrivals Wisconsin or North Dakota come to Minneapolis, Mariucci can be the hottest ticket in town. If you can nab a seat, get to the game early to check out the team photos and murals from the 102-year history of Golden Gopher hockey. Before finding your seats in an arena that has nothing but good ones, watch the band march around the concourse, then spell out M-I-N-N-E-S-O-T-A after every goal against the hated Badgers or Fighting Hawks.
Pictured above: The Gophers and Fighting Hawks will next meet in Minneapolis during the 2024-25 season (photo: Richard Brian/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-wisconsin-women-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=0df5bd7370341080ed9d8822e9e8ebf2 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-wisconsin-women-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=f489d3a9337932c60607b4583baa3964 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/minnesota-wisconsin-women-hockey.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=e608c82cdbf970098b94f0245a2616c1 768w)
9. Go to a Minnesota vs. Wisconsin Women's Hockey Game
The State of Hockey is blessed with a nation-leading number of girls’ hockey players. And the best of those players often end up wearing the “M” at the University of Minnesota or the “W” at the University of Wisconsin. At least two times each season, the Gophers host the Badgers at Ridder Arena, one of the nation’s first facilities devoted to a women’s college hockey program. The regular season games between Goldy and Bucky are always competitive and are often a preview of postseason match-ups that inevitably help decide which team will be in the driver’s seat to earn conference and national champion honors.
Pictured above: Minnesota hosts Wisconsin at Ridder Arena on Dec. 8-9, 2023 (photo: Brad Rempel/University of Minnesota)
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/mighty-ducks-peavey-park.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=1501f44a415ef345da1ffe1ad03b01ce 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/mighty-ducks-peavey-park.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6fc01895a33202d75160d10b67e3916e 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/mighty-ducks-peavey-park.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=fe0af8fe41dc66884df3fc13ae40c9e5 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/mighty-ducks-peavey-park.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=8847f56c2be78d4e84633784036e9c5a 900w)
10. Tour Locations from "The Mighty Ducks"
As the State of Hockey, it was only natural that Disney decided to film much of the Mighty Ducks movie trilogy in the Twin Cities during the 1990s. Fans will be excited to know that Minneapolis played a big role during the shooting of some famous scenes and can see them first-hand. Sites include IDS Center, Peavey Field Park, Parade Ice Garden, Theodore Wirth Chalet, the Stone Arch Bridge and many more across Minneapolis, the Twin Cities metro and greater Minnesota. To take in the full Mighty Ducks experience, take a tour using this comprehensive list of all the best moments from the original movies filmed at our favorite Minneapolis locations and beyond (and don't miss this Google Earth tour of the Rollerblade journey the Ducks took in "D2: The Mighty Ducks").
Pictured above: Coach Gordon Bombay meets the Ducks for the first time at Peavey Field Park in Minneapolis
![](https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=a3be72eb89389b5f852e6b07077086d1 320w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=8a0a18db5fac0180fc3165d227aeb86c 540w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=b82c220f9d265b50ca0c0457f3a37fda 768w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=1fb6d69ef236c4665d10fcd374ab175e 1024w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=9aa5025d7c37532ca13aa8e40589b645 1200w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=67f8965036f8095487540e579902576d 1440w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=58a6110900f9e06f8cb1c1c4e0a0bf0c 1920w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=8441f5bec36f81832d4ff9967430439a 2560w, https://minneapolis-2021.imgix.net/images/state-hockey-tournament.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=9bc2a24d6fbe702c20fae5b08fe48e17 3300w)
OTHER TWIN CITIES HOCKEY MUST-DOs
1. Experience the boys’ high school hockey state tournament
In Indiana, it’s basketball. In Texas, it’s football. In Minnesota, it’s hockey. High school hockey is truly something special. And nothing is more special than the annual boys’ hockey state tournament in St. Paul. The Xcel Energy Center is jammed to the rafters with die-hard hockey fans watching Minnesota’s top high schoolers battle for state supremacy.
If you can get your hands on tickets, soak in the atmosphere with bands, student sections and groups of nervous parents creating a buzz unlike anything else the state has to offer. Make sure to arrive early on day 1 to watch the on-ice introductions of the players, coaches, cheerleaders, mascots and officials, and stay until the very end late on Saturday night when one team jubilantly tosses its helmets, sticks and gloves in the air while the other team is overcome with the agony of defeat.
2. Watch a professional hockey game
Want to see some of the world’s best hockey players face off? Minnesota’s capital city has a premier option: the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. Get your hands on some tickets and head to downtown St. Paul a couple hours before the game. Make sure to have dinner at either Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub (a hangout jam-packed with hockey memorabilia) or Herbie’s on the Park (a restaurant inspired by the legacy of Herb Brooks). Speaking of Herbie, don’t miss getting your photo taken with the statue of the legendary coach just outside the doors of the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Before you find your seats for a Wild game at Xcel Energy Center, take your time checking out the historical displays, trophies and photos, as well as jerseys from every Minnesota high school team, throughout the arena. But don’t be late getting to your spot for the game. You don’t want to miss yelling “Let’s! Play! Hockey!” just moments before the opening faceoff.
Just outside of Minneapolis sits Richfield Ice Arena, the home rink of the Minnesota Whitecaps, the only professional women’s hockey team in Minnesota to regularly play games in the state. The 2019 NWHL champions feature a slew of past, present and future national and Olympic team members, battling for women’s pro hockey supremacy in front of capacity crowds.
3. Take in a night of Da Beauty League
Hockey fans in Minnesota really are spoiled. Where else can you spend $15 to watch three games in a night between teams filled with current and future NHL stars? In the State of Hockey, you simply head to Edina’s Braemar Arena on Monday and Wednesday nights in July and August to watch the spectacle that is Da Beauty League. Serving as a training ground for players as they prepare for their upcoming pro and college seasons, Da Beauty League games are fast paced with tons of goals. But the action doesn’t stop on the ice. Before and after each game, fans line up outside the arena to catch a glimpse, autograph or selfie with one of the many NHL beauties that dot the rosters.
Pictured above: Minnesota State High School League Boys' Hockey State Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul