They even bore a striking difference in their appearance at Hockey Day Minnesota with Warroad in all black and Minneapolis donning white, virtually from head to toe. What bonds them together, however, is their love for the sport and appreciation for its outdoor heritage. 

“I think the kids really enjoyed themselves and the fans enjoyed themselves and I think it’s one of those things that it doesn’t really hit you until next year, maybe, when Hockey Day is on and the kids will look back and say, ‘Hey, that was us last year,'” Warroad coach Jay Hardwick said Saturday. “It’s just great to be a part of it.”

Warroad’s Owen Meeker scored twice and Jayson Shaugabay added a goal and an assist to help lead the Warriors to a 5-1 win over host Minneapolis in the opening game of Hockey Day Minnesota on Saturday morning at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis. 

Minneapolis sophomore forward Jack Hanson (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

“I think they maybe had a little more speed than we did and, you know, hats off to them, they were good and they won the battles,” Minneapolis coach Jo Dziedzic said. “We had a couple chances there and we just didn’t execute on our power plays. When we did have chances we found the goalie right in the chest but it was fun; our kids loved it and we had a great time.”

Meeker opened the game’s scoring for the Warriors 10:26 into the opening period and Warroad doubled its lead just 1:33 later on Anthony Foster’s shorthanded goal. 

Shaugabay scored a pivotal goal early in the second period with his 12th of the season, redirecting a Grant Slukynsky feed inside the right post for a 3-0 Warrior lead. Slukynsky chipped in another assist in the final period to pick up his team leading 37th assist and 61st point of the season.

Overcast skies greeted the teams on arrival Saturday morning and while Friday’s snow had departed, it was replaced by a stiff, bone-chilling breeze out of the West. As the game wore one, breaks in the clouds allowed the sun to peek through.

“We had a couple guys come off the ice and say that, you know, it was tough for him to see when we they were going that way,” Hardwick said. “I asked our goalie after the game about it too and he said it was really tough to see the first part of the third period but, luckily, it didn’t become a factor.”

Slukynsky was denied his bid to add to his goal scoring lead by Minneapolis goalie Alex Lamont whose glove hand came out of nowhere to swallow up a shot labeled for what appeared for a moment to be an open net with 7:25 to play. “That was a beauty and he’s going to remember that one for a while,” Dziedzic said. 

“That was a really nice save by him,” Slukynsky acknowledged. “Give the goalie credit, he read the play nice and slid cross and just made a nice save.”

The Warriors were well supported in the big city by a formidable traveling contingent who made themselves known throughout the contest. 

“It’s probably pretty quiet in Warroad today,” Hardwick said. “I know there was, I think, eight of our youth teams and numerous other people down here. I looked up in the stands and it was all black and gold and red, white and blue, so it was great to see all the Warroad people down here supporting us.”

Dziedzic says he hopes the long-term ramifications of Hockey Day coming to Minneapolis leads to growing the sport in his hometown and he’s already seeing good signs pointing toward that goal.

“I think we’ve got some young talent that are hockey players and in the past we’ve had some guys that played hockey but weren’t necessarily hockey players,” Dziedzic said. “They’re just getting experience and, as they get stronger, I think we’ll keep growing.”

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The 14th Hockey Day Minnesota debuted in style in Minneapolis, and the sight was something to behold.

A rink was built into historic Parade Stadium, with the downtown Minneapolis skyline looming in the distance. And with temperatures hovering around 0 degrees, it felt like the quintessential Minnesota experience.

“It was unbelievable,” said Blake girls senior Adelaide Burton. “Leading up to this all week, [the anticipation] had just been building and building

“Being able to see the ice and the city in the background is truly a dream come true,” Burton added. “I could not have asked for better conditions.”

Added Minneapolis girls freshman Celia Midtbo: “It was different, everything felt different. But it also just felt like playing hockey outdoors with your friends.”

The three-day showcase kicked off Thursday night with a pair of girls high school games.

Minneapolis and the Academy of Holy Angels squared off in the opener, with Minneapolis claiming a 3-2 overtime win in Metro West Conference play.

With the teams tied at 2, Midtbo scored on a wraparound try that somehow squeaked through Holy Angels goalie Celeste Rimstad.

“I won the puck and just came around the net,” Midtbo said. “I just threw it [at the net] hoping for the best. Then I just screamed … it was huge.”

Said Minneapolis coach Sarma Ozmen: “She has an amazing shot. She’ll say she just threw it at the net, but I have a feeling she aimed for something.”

Bridget McGuire and Kaitlyn Kneeland scored for Holy Angels, while Maddy Helmstetter and Julia Stevens scored power-play goals for Minneapolis, which improved to 10-9-2 on the season. Holy Angels fell to 7-12.

Ozmen said she could tell her team was a bit in awe of the atmosphere at first.

“The atmosphere was great … I think we had nerves for the first five minutes or so but then we settled in and were fired up that it was a real hockey game,” Ozmen said. “I had to turn around and see the skyline a few times just to make it real with where we’re at.”

Blake senior Lily Delianedis scores the first of her three goals in the Bears’ 8-0 win over Grand Rapids/Greenway on Thursday night at Parade Stadium to complete a sweep for the co-hosting schools on opening night of this weekend’s Hockey Day Minnesota festivities in Minneapolis. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Blake wasn’t fazed by the impressive scenery in the nightcap, as the Bears cruised to an 8-0 win over Grand Rapids-Greenway.

Burton led the way with a hat trick and an assist, while senior Lily Delianedis also recorded a hat trick for the Bears.

Each player scored a shorthanded goal in the opening period, before Burton scored twice and Delianedis found the net again in the second period.

“It’s starting out fast and finishing on your chances,” Burton said of the shorthanded tallies. “But I’ve got to give it to our team … we played three full periods.”

Added Blake coach Sean Reid: “Those two have had a bunch of those this year. They’re able to pounce on the puck, see the opening and get those chances.”

Freshmen Elizabeth Morrison and Sam Broz later scored in the third period before Delianedis capped the scoring with her hat trick.

Blake is now 12-5-1 on the season, as goalies Molly Haag (two periods) and Ava Christie (final period) combined for the shutout. Grand Rapids-Greenway dropped to 8-9-2.

But the Bears will certainly remember this win, especially because of the atmosphere it came in.

“Being able to do this on a night like tonight,” Burton said, “it brought our team that much closer.”

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