Article: Minnesota Makes the Wild Special

[Mikki Tuohy]

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[Up North Guy]

Very nicely said. Thank you. Having lived in so many different states/countries I can attest to the difference in fans in Minnesota. (not counting the three women sitting behind me at the last game I went to. Sorry, I did not need to hear about your sex life or experience your phone conversations) It is different here. The passion is palpable. 

[mnfaninnc]

I'd just like to mention, maybe even plug a sister sport too. Yes, you see all the leagues and players playing in beer leagues at 10pm. That happens all over the country to some extent.

Broomball is the close sister to hockey. I was first introduced to it playing in a youth group, a very casual game. Next, in highschool we actually learned how to play and the rules. I played goalie on a nice crisp Minnesota morning and got clocked in the head (no helmets) at about 10 degrees. It hurt after going in from the outdoor rink and had my face thawed. And, that was back in the day when PE really meant physical and education, not like now where it's essentially recess.

When I moved to Carolina, we had a small league of broomballers here. Did you know there are National Championships? We sent a team several times, and every other year it was played somewhere in MN. At least half of the teams entered were from MN. The elite teams were from there, with the exception of Barrie's Tavern which was a collection of guys from all across the country playing on what is, essentially, a travel team. 

While this post is about hockey, since broomball is based generally on the hockey rules, it also shows the passion of the fans. In MN, it is generally insulting not to know how to skate, yet many people don't. In the south, my friends didn't know how to skate, so how do you introduce some sort of hockey to them? Broomball did it, it didn't require the skating or all the equipment, but they got to feel the joy of being on the ice and playing the loose strategy of most hockey games. 

It was a joy to take them to the Nationals, and to let them see what the area was like and the amount of indoor rinks in the area. I can tell you they were impressed. We had several tournaments in our area, and the Flames helped us out a lot by bringing us into the enhancements from the game. But, there was also an attitude they brought, one that was always helping. It's probably that attitude that I miss the most, whether it was a generational thing or a regional thing. I'm not sure, but it's something I don't typically find in this area among natives.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

Nice write up. Looks like we are about 1 month away from NHL training camps starting. Hopefully the Wild can put together another good year and enter the playoffs with all their guys healthy for a change, particularly JEE and KK97.

[Wild4Ever]

4 hours ago, mnfaninnc said:

I'd just like to mention, maybe even plug a sister sport too. Yes, you see all the leagues and players playing in beer leagues at 10pm. That happens all over the country to some extent.

Broomball is the close sister to hockey. I was first introduced to it playing in a youth group, a very casual game. Next, in highschool we actually learned how to play and the rules. I played goalie on a nice crisp Minnesota morning and got clocked in the head (no helmets) at about 10 degrees. It hurt after going in from the outdoor rink and had my face thawed. And, that was back in the day when PE really meant physical and education, not like now where it's essentially recess.

When I moved to Carolina, we had a small league of broomballers here. Did you know there are National Championships? We sent a team several times, and every other year it was played somewhere in MN. At least half of the teams entered were from MN. The elite teams were from there, with the exception of Barrie's Tavern which was a collection of guys from all across the country playing on what is, essentially, a travel team. 

While this post is about hockey, since broomball is based generally on the hockey rules, it also shows the passion of the fans. In MN, it is generally insulting not to know how to skate, yet many people don't. In the south, my friends didn't know how to skate, so how do you introduce some sort of hockey to them? Broomball did it, it didn't require the skating or all the equipment, but they got to feel the joy of being on the ice and playing the loose strategy of most hockey games. 

It was a joy to take them to the Nationals, and to let them see what the area was like and the amount of indoor rinks in the area. I can tell you they were impressed. We had several tournaments in our area, and the Flames helped us out a lot by bringing us into the enhancements from the game. But, there was also an attitude they brought, one that was always helping. It's probably that attitude that I miss the most, whether it was a generational thing or a regional thing. I'm not sure, but it's something I don't typically find in this area among natives.

I've been watching hockey years before Minnesota even had a team. Hockey IMO is the best sport in the world, comprised of the best conditioned athletes. Having said that, I have to admit I was probably the best ankle skater in the State of Hockey. So I played broomball in a men's league for over 10 years, indoors and mainly outdoors. In the beginning we played with 8 players on ice and that was quickly changed to 6, to more reflect hockey. Broomball more than satisfied my need for playing a game similar to hockey and I highly recommend it. I will add that Bandy was also popular back then. I think it originated in Europe and was played with ball and hockey stick on a very large sheet of ice. Ankle skaters need not apply.

[Beast]

It’s still unbelievable to me that the North Stars were moved to place that can’t make ice outdoors and we’ve been relegated to most mediocre expansion team ever.  Sad, really.  Some of my earliest hockey memories were watching the North Stars.

The fans here are phenomenal.  The most knowledgeable and dedicated fanbase this side of the Canadian border deserves better. it’s largely been an unsuccessful franchise that’s played one of the most bland and boring styles of hockey in the NHL since it’s inception.  My son is a squirt and my daughter is a mite.  Both nuts about hockey.  They couldnt care less about the Wild.  Hopefully that changes shortly.  But. It would help if they gave them something to get excited about.