Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History

January 17, 2015 Hockey Day Minnesota would take things to another level in the St. Paul to Kuwait day featuring games at Holman Field in St. Paul and live broadcasts from Kuwait where Armed Service members from Minnesota were stationed.  It was a great showing as we were treated to live cut ins from Kuwait as our brave soldiers got to kick back and enjoy a little reminder of home.

The games would start with the boys St. Paul Johnson squad beating Luverne 6-5 on the ice rink build right on the tarmac at Holman Field.  That game would be followed by Hill-Murray topping Saint Thomas Academy in an overtime game 3-2.  The girls would get in on the action, as per the standard the game was played on TV after Wild game.  The Cretin-Derham Hall ladies were victorious over the Duluth Northern Stars 5-4.

Rounding out the amateur action on the day at Holman Field, Saint Paul Academy would defeat Rochester Lourdes 3-1 (game was not televised - only short game clips were shown during the Wild game as the games were being held 30 minutes apart with a 7:30 start time).  The Gophers would play the Wisconsin Badgers where they earned a 5-2 victory.  Minnesota Wild, with a 8:00 start time, would win their 6th straight game on HDM with a 3-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Wild would get goals from Charlie Coyle and Jason Zucker with an empty netter coming off the stick of Zach Parise late in the game.  Interstingly enough, Devan Dubnyk would get an assist in the game on the Zucker goal.  Justin Fontaine would also get an assist on the Zucker goal.

Vintage Minnesota Hockey Take:

For Hockey Day 2015, the game was moved atop a working tarmac at St. Paul Holman Field airport in St. Paul - marking the cities 2nd time hosting the beloved day (1st in 2009 at Phalen Park). 

The rink was set-up in front of the old Holman Field 1939 WPA Built Administration Building - which is on the National Register of Historic Places.  The arena playing surface marked the first ever on-site refrigerated artificial ice rink at HDM, and was overseen and operated by the self proclaimed King of Frozen Events: icerinkevents.com, which happened to be a great year for first reefer ice as this years HDM was the warmest to date HDM temp at 38 degrees.  St. Paul Johnson would make their 3rd HDM appearance at HDM (2007, 2009, 2015), and Head Coach of Governors Steve Moose Younghans, oversaw all of the apparel for the days event that was sold on-line and on-site - created and made by Strauss.