For the first time, a junior hockey game will be part of the Hockey Day Minnesota program. And that game will feature the Steele County Blades facing the Minnesota Mullets at Blakeslee Football Stadium on the Minnesota State University-Mankato campus on Sunday, January 23.
Huge news! We are the first junior hockey team to be part of Hockey Day Minnesota. We are very excited. I know both teams are very excited to start and show everyone what our level of play is like. And enjoy hockey the way it was originally meant to be, away from it all. in cold weather.
-Nick Adamek, Steele County Blades coach
Minnesota’s annual hockey celebration was scheduled to take place in Mankato in January 2021, but was canceled due to the pandemic and postponed to January 21 and 23, 2022. This is the first time the event has taken place in southern Minnesota.
Adamek said, “Lucky for us obviously Mankato is going to Hockey Day Minnesota… We happen to be lucky the Blades owner is very well connected to the Mankato community. When the idea for a junior hockey game came up, he came to the committee, ”said Adamek.
The Blades have had a great rivalry with the Mullets, who are based in the Twin Cities, and play their home games at the University of Augsburg in Minneapolis. “It was very important that we play against another team from Minnesota. The way that Chris Walby, the Mullets head coach, and I work together, it was obvious to see if they would be interested in doing it. It’s been a whirlwind as we try to figure out how this is all going to play out. “
While outdoor hockey is part of the growth of many in the north, the Blades also have players from warmer climates in their roster: “Our Aussie, Connor Lee, is very excited. He’s never done anything like this before.
The demonstration college hockey game will feature Minnesota-Mankato State University as it hosts a new Division I, St. Thomas program on Saturday night, Jan. 22. High school games on the outdoor ice at Mavericks Football Stadium are also part of the program.
The Blades are looking for host families for their players coming from out of town for the coming season. The team reports around Labor Day, with the season starting in late September. Their home opener at the Four Seasons Center in Owatonna is Friday, October 8.
Hockey Day Minnesota is a partnership with the Minnesota Wild and Bally Sports North, sponsored locally by the Orthopedic & Fracture Clinic. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Michelle Schooff at 612-747-0002. Hockey Day Minnesota Mankato is a 501 c-3, with the Mankato Area Foundation as its fiscal sponsor.
** This post has been modified from a previous version to reflect the fiscal sponsor of the event and events leading up to the inclusion of the Steele County Blades in the event itself. **
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