Excelsior, Minn. (Nov. 9, 2011) - Hockey Blast 2012 will be held January 20 22 outdoors on Lake Minnetonkas Excelsior Bay in Excelsior, Minn. The weekend will celebrate the States love of the sport and encompass two major events: the 2012 Pond Hockey North America Championship and the sixth annual Hockey

Day Minnesota.

Pond Hockey North America Championship:

The 2012 Pond Hockey North America Championship will feature up to 120 teams on 10 rinks and players of all ages - men, women, youth and kids. Online registration is now open by visiting www.hockeyblastminnesota.com. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. Brackets will be finalized by

December 1, 2011.

The adult men Pond Hockey North America Championship (PHNAC) will take place Friday, Jan. 20 Sunday, Jan. 22. To fee to register a mens team is $600.

The adult women B-level PHNAC will take place Saturday, Jan. 21 and Sunday, Jan. 22. The C-level games will take place on Sunday only. Both B and C have up to three games single elimination. The registration fee for womens teams is $250.

For kids teams ages 5 10 and girls teams U10-14, Pond Hockey North America Championship will take place on Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka on Saturday, January 21 as part of Hockey Day Minnesota. Space is limited to 25 pre-registered teams. The cost to register youth and kids teams is $200.

Friends, family and other hockey fans are welcome to come out and observe. The Pond Hockey North America Championship is free and open to the public.

Hockey Day Minnesota Saturday, January 21, 2012

The Minnesota Wild, in conjunction with FOX Sports North and Minnesota Hockey, will celebrate the sixth annual Hockey Day Minnesota during the Hockey Blast festivities.

Hockey Day Minnesota 2012 on FOX Sports North will include a full day of local hockey-related programming designed as a celebration of the game from peewees to the pros.

Lake Minnetonka and the City of Excelsior will serve as the background for three outdoor high school hockey games featured in the Hockey Day Minnesota line-up.

- White Bear Lake vs. Grand Rapids (Boys) at 10 a.m.

- Minnetonka vs. Duluth East (Boys) at 1:30 p.m.

- Minnetonka vs. Hopkins (Girls) at 4 p.m.

Hockey Day Minnesota will also feature the following games held off-site:

- Minnesota Gophers vs. Colorado College at Mariucci Arena 5 p.m.

- Minnesota Wild vs. Dallas Stars at Xcel Energy Center 8 p.m.

Spectator tickets are now available online by visiting www.hockeyblastminnesota.com. Regular tickets are available for single ($20) or three games ($50) and include parking. VIP tickets for all three games are also available and include VIP parking, prime seating for all three games, complimentary food and beverage in the VIP fishing village, all for only $100.

In addition to three days of great hockey, the Hockey Blast site will feature a Hockey Village including hockey related vendors, a Mite tournament, outdoor activities including open skating, great food and beverages and warm roaring fires.

A portion of the proceeds of Hockey Blast 2012 will benefit local charities, including ICA Food Shelves, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Twin Cities Chapter, and the ALS Association, Minnesota/North Dakota/South Dakota Chapter.

The creators and producers of Hockey Blast 2012 are Denny Loving and Jay Lundberg, longtime friends and hockey enthusiasts. The event was founded in 2005 as the Pond Hockey North America Championship. Loving and Lundberg wanted a way to bring in teams from around the continent to play and compete in Minnesota while raising awareness and funds for non-profit organizations.

For more information, register your team, buy tickets or purchase merchandise, please visit www.hockeyblastminnesota.com.

Contact: Molly Steinke, Nemer Fieger, 952-278-3142 or 612-309-1677, molly@nemerfieger.com

Carly Grieger, Nemer Fieger, 952-278-3142 or 651-246-9122, cgrieger@nemerfieger.com