By Mikki Tuohy -
The State of Hockey. It’s a title that gets some pushback from the hockey community at large. Until someone experiences living in Minnesota, it’s hard to explain. Hockey is more than just a sport here. It’s a bonding experience, an education in sportsmanship, a beautiful combination of all of the best parts of sports. That’s why fans here are the most prominent supporters and the Minnesota Wild’s harshest critics. It’s a type of community foundation that makes Wild Hockey different.
Hockey is an intricate sport when you break it into its elements. It’s played on ice skates at lightning speed. The puck is small and can be hard to track. Players can only use a stick. The nets are small, and the goalies are big. Everything put together makes it a beautiful sport. It might seem strange to call such a physical sport beautiful, but even the physical aspects add to it. There’s something about the juxtaposition of hard hits and violence with skillful goal-scoring and physics-defying edgework that is poetically exquisite.
Minnesota is a unique state because the poetic side of the sport is evident at all levels. Mite tournaments are well-attended by cheering families, trying their hardest to give the kids an authentic hockey experience. The Wild have done a lot of good work in supporting hockey in the community. Matt Dumba might not be a Wild player anymore, but even he is committed to Minnesota hockey and making it as inclusive as possible.
The Minnesota High School Hockey State Tournament is a religious experience, drawing fans on a pilgrimage from all across the state. Whether the competitors are dynasty teams or first-time contenders, it’s a privilege for them to simply make the state tournament. Skating onto the Xcel Center ice and being broadcast statewide to ensure everyone can watch is an experience that every young player hopes for. No other state would fill an arena for high school hockey games.
Beer leagues across the state are full of adults so enraptured by the sport that they’re willing to play late-night games in the only time slots available. Ice time can be a scarce commodity with so many teams vying for it. Being willing to play a game at 10 pm is a prime example of how much love and dedication there is for the sport, far past the age of organized sports.
That same passion shows up for every single game that the Wild play. Before the gates open, the streets and neighborhood are filled with fans, ready to cheer. There is a crowd at every door, waiting for the gates to open. The excitement is palpable. The Xcel Center is always filled past capacity for Wild games. The air in the arena is electric when the lights go down and the opening light show starts.
Wild players and coaches alike have named the fan base as one of their favorite parts of playing in Minnesota. In the Straight from the Source podcast, Nicolas Deslauriers said that having the Minnesota fans on his side was “something special” after admitting to hating it as an away player. Filip Gustavsson was so moved by the standing ovation he received that he couldn’t focus on his interview with Kevin Gorg.
In a 2021 interview after the first game back from the pandemic with a packed crowd, Dean Evason said, “It’s so exciting to have fans back, the whole league, the whole world is excited to have people back in stadiums, but our fans were absolutely phenomenal.”
The reason the Minnesota Wild are special is because they appreciate how integral Wild fans are to their success. Every team has cheering fans, and a lot of them can fill a stadium. But there is an undercurrent of passion that ripples through the Wild fan base that isn’t easy to replicate.
It’s the pride felt during the Wild’s anthem because it mirrors how Minnesotans were raised. It’s the “Let’s Play Hockey” that starts every game, reminding fans to drop their stress at the door and focus on the love of the game. It’s the willingness to cheer so loud that fans lose their voice the next day, and their hands are sore from clapping. It’s for everyone who sticks around until the very end, win or lose, because they know a hockey game can turn on a dime.
Mason Shaw channeled that passion when he did the “Let’s Play Hockey” call before Game 3 against the Dallas Stars last spring. “The Xcel Center,” he said. “Home of the Wild. Home of the State of Hockey. And home of the best damn fans in the league.” It’s no wonder the Wild crushed the Stars 5-1 that night.
In the words of the Wild Anthem: “The game’s in our blood and our blood’s in the game. Lay us down under a frozen pond. … A big blue line runs around our state. A line that can’t be crossed. The day they try to take this game is the day the gloves come off.”
So say it with me: Let’s Play Hockey!
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