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Not-So-OT: Hockey Day Minnesota 2021

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  • #16
    Originally posted by Stanger86 View Post
    Maybe someday they'll have it in the forgotten corner of the state
    The selection process is very bizarre - judging by the list of host cities. Baudette (?) and St. Paul have both double-dipped. The hockey mega-powers of Hockeytown, Eveleth, Virginia, Roseau - etc, have all been left out in favor of Elk River, St. Cloud, and Stillwater. It looks like HDM favors population over the places that truly deserve the recognition.

    Anyway, I think it's very possible we see it in SWMN at some point - Marshall being the obvious candidate. Actually, I'm kicking around the idea of shooting off some emails to see if there is any interest in hosting it at SMSU. Matke Field would be an excellent venue to host it in. We'd get some excellent state-wide coverage, if it happens. Marshall vs. Loo-Verne or Breck for the Class A game would be a big draw, and then pair it with two heavy hitter AA teams and we'd have a show.

    I went in 2015 at the St. Paul Airport to watch Loo-Verne vs. St. Paul-Johnson, but I stayed for St. Thomas and Hill-Murray. It was a real blast. It's funny looking back on that game though - Loo-Verne had 2 future D1 prospects on their team. They're the only program in SWMN to send someone to that level, and they did it twice, on the same team (unless we count Jamie Hoffman, of course). The interesting thing is that there have only been two teams from southern MN who've played at HDM, two were from Rochester and one was from SWMN...

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    • #17
      Originally posted by SW_Mustang View Post

      It's the MSHSL version of the NHL Winter Classic. It's arguably the biggest day in Minnesota hockey outside of the state tournament.

      A committee selects a city and a location within that city. They've done outdoor rinks, lakes, airports... this last one was at Augsburg's baseball field. They set up a rink and bleachers, the games are televised - it's really a show. Then FSN showcases a college game, and then a Wild game.

      The point is to pay homage to the history of the sport in Minnesota and to celebrate it. To be selected as a host city is a huge honor. It's the town's chance to showcase themselves and their hockey community.

      That all being said - the committee typically picks towns in Northern Minnesota as well as the Twin Cities area. They've never come to southern Minnesota. S-MN is basketball country. It's not hockey territory. Few teams make it to the state tournament and they usually exit in the first round. I believe Rochester is the only city to claim a title. MSU is the only D1 program south of the Twin Cities. They don't have the tradition and rich history found elsewhere.

      That's why hosting it in Mankato is a big deal for the hockey community there. It's sort of validation that they can hang with the big boys - like Hermantown, Duluth, and Eveleth.

      I hope that makes sense.

      I've been toying with the idea to send a couple emails and see if we can a proposal together to get it hosted at the REC. We have the infrastructure to do it and the SWMN hockey community has been growing at a rapid pace. It's a long shot, but it would be cool.
      GOt it. Thanks for the write up

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      • #18
        Originally posted by SW_Mustang View Post
        I went in 2015 at the St. Paul Airport to watch Loo-Verne vs. St. Paul-Johnson, but I stayed for St. Thomas and Hill-Murray. It was a real blast. It's funny looking back on that game though - Loo-Verne had 2 future D1 prospects on their team. They're the only program in SWMN to send someone to that level, and they did it twice, on the same team (unless we count Jamie Hoffman, of course). The interesting thing is that there have only been two teams from southern MN who've played at HDM, two were from Rochester and one was from SWMN...
        Luverne native here. It was a really big deal for the community when they got to play in the game in 2015. Heck, I even tuned in to watch the boys play. They weren't even hosting but they got a lot of features and media attention on the program, which like you say, rarely happens for SWMN hockey teams. Cool idea SW_Mustang about trying to get it to Marshall. Keep trying.
        4x 'Crackerjack' NAIA National Champions - 1996, 2006, 2008, 2009
        2016 NSIC Champions
        🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑🔑

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        • #19
          Originally posted by SW_Mustang View Post
          Anyway, I think it's very possible we see it in SWMN at some point - Marshall being the obvious candidate. Actually, I'm kicking around the idea of shooting off some emails to see if there is any interest in hosting it at SMSU. Matke Field would be an excellent venue to host it in. We'd get some excellent state-wide coverage, if it happens. Marshall vs. Loo-Verne or Breck for the Class A game would be a big draw, and then pair it with two heavy hitter AA teams and we'd have a show.
          I always thought the Minnesota pond (name?) would be a cool spot for HDM in town. I know they'd have to bring in seating and stuff, but maybe just a PeeWee game with other bigger games elsewhere?

          Also, took way too long to figure out what Loo-Verne was....

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          • #20
            Originally posted by Stanger86 View Post

            I always thought the Minnesota pond (name?) would be a cool spot for HDM in town. I know they'd have to bring in seating and stuff, but maybe just a PeeWee game with other bigger games elsewhere?

            Also, took way too long to figure out what Loo-Verne was....
            Which pond is that?

            I like that idea. I'd like to incorporate more than just one location. The main location would be the REC, but with the arena across the street, I think it only makes sense to branch out and host different events across the city. That'd really be up to the planning comittee though.

            I spell Luverne like that as a way to humor myself. It really doesn't mean or reference anything, I just gotta have my fun, haha.

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            • #21
              Originally posted by Stanger86 View Post
              Also, took way too long to figure out what Loo-Verne was....
              Not far from Shur-lee.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by Otis Day View Post

                Luverne native here. It was a really big deal for the community when they got to play in the game in 2015. Heck, I even tuned in to watch the boys play. They weren't even hosting but they got a lot of features and media attention on the program, which like you say, rarely happens for SWMN hockey teams. Cool idea SW_Mustang about trying to get it to Marshall. Keep trying.
                Thanks for the support! I haven't actually proposed this idea to the administration yet, I'm still kicking around some ideas in my head that I want to explore. More than likely what will happen is that I will bring the idea to the university administration and if they are interested, they will take it over. They'll be able to make the necessary connections with MHS and the city whereas I cannot since I don't live in Marshall anymore. It's a longshot, but it can happen.

                There are two goals that I have. SMSU has very horrible brand awareness outside of the immediate area. My goal is to increase our brand recognition elsewhere in the state, and I think HDM would be an excellent way to do this. My other goal is to celebrate hockey in SWMN. Unfortunately, Marshall is the only city with the infrastructure to host the event. Luverne might be more appropriate.

                MHS broke the glass ceiling for SWMN in 2013, and Luverne picked up the torch and ran with it. They've accomplished so much in such a short amount of time, it's incredible. I don't think they've gotten nearly enough recognition - albeit some of the media outlets in the Twin Cities have given them a fair shake. They have an ultra dedicated community and I have nothing but positive things to say about them. They beat Totino-Grace after losing to them in the consolation finals, then they almost destroyed the H-Town dynasty. Since then, Marshall has also beaten Breck - the team that decimated them at state in 2013. The future of hockey in SWMN is really bright and I'd really like to showcase it. Both T-G and Breck came out to Loo-Verne and MHS respectively, so that really says something about their place in the state discussion.

                I went in 2015 for the sole purpose of watching Loo-Verne play against St. Paul-Johnson. I got a good-enough feel for the setup of the event that running it in Marshall is a real possibility in my mind. Really, the possibilities are endless. I have quite a few ideas to pick from - everything from an SMSU/SDSU showdown to seeing if we can get a D1 game to happen, even though I doubt that's likely. My big goal is to have the AA game feature two heavy hitters from the Twin Cities. Most importantly though, I'd find some way to incorporate every team from SWMN - even if they can't play on HDM, they should at least be able to play on the outdoor surface. With the arena across the street now and all the facilities at our disposal, the possibilities really are endless.

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                • #23
                  The selection process is very bizarre - judging by the list of host cities. Baudette (?) and St. Paul have both double-dipped. The hockey mega-powers of Hockeytown, Eveleth, Virginia, Roseau - etc, have all been left out in favor of Elk River, St. Cloud, and Stillwater. It looks like HDM favors population over the places that truly deserve the recognition.
                  If your question mark was because you weren't sure why Baudette hosted twice, it's cause they basically invented HDM. The Lake of the Woods head coach at the time and a few people from town came up with the idea for the first one and they hosted year two as well. I'm hoping for the 20th anniversary in a few years they go back up there.

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by DragonFox View Post

                    If your question mark was because you weren't sure why Baudette hosted twice, it's cause they basically invented HDM. The Lake of the Woods head coach at the time and a few people from town came up with the idea for the first one and they hosted year two as well. I'm hoping for the 20th anniversary in a few years they go back up there.
                    Yes, that was the ?. That makes a lot of sense, and that's kind of neat too. That would be a good spot to hold the 20th.

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                    • #25
                      Originally posted by SW_Mustang View Post

                      Which pond is that?

                      I like that idea. I'd like to incorporate more than just one location. The main location would be the REC, but with the arena across the street, I think it only makes sense to branch out and host different events across the city. That'd really be up to the planning comittee though.

                      I spell Luverne like that as a way to humor myself. It really doesn't mean or reference anything, I just gotta have my fun, haha.

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Originally posted by Stanger86 View Post

                        OOOOOOH.

                        I was thinking about the one behind Arby's, haha

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                        • #27
                          Not happening either :/

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                          • #28
                            Originally posted by Twincitiesmav View Post
                            Not happening either :/
                            Yeah - a bummer for sure. Thankfully the committee held it for next year instead of skipping over it and going straight back to the Cities or something.

                            Comment


                            • #29
                              Athey announced on FSN a couple minutes ago they are coming to Mankato in 2022. I will have to add that to the calendar.

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                              • #30
                                Originally posted by WSUWarriorFan View Post
                                Athey announced on FSN a couple minutes ago they are coming to Mankato in 2022. I will have to add that to the calendar.
                                It's only fair. I was wondering about that, so thank you for sharing!

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