Warroad lands Hockey Day Minnesota for 2024

WARROAD, Minn. – Often known as “Hockeytown USA” for greater than 60 years, the hockey-crazy neighborhood of Warroad would be the epicenter of the State of Hockey for a winter weekend in 2024.

Simply minutes earlier than the shotgun begin of the annual Warroad Celeb Golf Match on Saturday, July 30, officers from Bally Sports activities North introduced that Warroad will host Hockey Day Minnesota for the primary time.

“We’ve been ready a very long time to have the ability to host Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad, in any other case often called the actual Hockeytown USA,” mentioned Tad Palmquist, Hockey Day Minnesota 2024 Native Organizing Committee co-chair, in a press release launched by the Minnesota Wild. “As a small neighborhood of 1,800 individuals situated close to the Canadian border, Warroad and the encircling space has a powerful hockey legacy. We’re excited to showcase how we stay life on the ice throughout HDM 2024 to your complete State of Hockey.”

The occasion will happen over a winter 2024 weekend to be introduced. The video games are anticipated to be performed at an out of doors rink that can be constructed with a view of Warroad’s iconic water tower, which options crossed hockey sticks. Warroad (inhabitants 1,830) is the hometown of seven U.S. Olympic hockey gamers — 4 of them gold medal winners — and two present NHL gamers.

In 2022, Warroad’s highschool ladies workforce received the state title whereas the boys completed as state runner-up.

A kind of present NHLers, Washington Capitals star T.J. Oshie, was readily available for the announcement, simply hours earlier than his quantity 19 jersey was retired by Warroad Excessive College. Oshie was a key participant on the Warriors’ 2003 and 2005 Minnesota state title groups.

Hockey Day Minnesota, which was first held in 2007 roughly 40 minutes down Freeway 11 in Baudette, is a day-long celebration of the game within the state, that includes outside hockey video games within the morning and afternoon, and culminating with a Minnesota Wild recreation within the night. Warroad, which sits simply six miles from the Canadian border, would be the northernmost neighborhood to host the occasion.

The total schedule of video games can be introduced at a later date, however there was fast hypothesis that Warroad and long-time arch rival Roseau might meet on the outside rink. Each the Warriors and Rams have participated in Hockey Day Minnesota up to now. Roseau beat Blaine 1-0 in 2008 in Baudette, in a recreation performed underneath frigid circumstances, with the temperature and wind chill effectively beneath zero. In 2020 Warroad defeated host Minneapolis 5-1 on an out of doors rink with a view of the skyscrapers of Minnesota’s largest metropolis.

Warroad is the house of Marvin, one of many nation’s largest producers of home windows and doorways, and native officers famous that the corporate can have a outstanding sponsorship function within the occasion. Christian Brothers, a hockey stick model, was based in Warroad and operated there for greater than 40 years earlier than the model title was offered.

Earlier in 2022, Mankato grew to become the primary southern Minnesota neighborhood to host Hockey Day Minnesota, with greater than 10,000 followers filling the soccer stadium at Minnesota State Mankato for a males’s recreation between the host Mavericks and St. Thomas. The 2023 occasion can be held in White Bear Township, simply north of St. Paul.