However, his impact to the Tri-City lineup can’t be measured by his stat line alone.

Roed is wearing a letter, setting an example as a second-year player and has blossomed into one of Tri-City’s most dependable forwards, and he’s centering the top line as a result.

“I think I’ve been playing the right way, and I’m just trying to do whatever my team needs me to,” Roed said. “I’d say my skating is probably my best attribute, so I’ve just tried to use my legs and play fast and play a 200-foot game, and that’s what’s been working so far.”

Whatever Roed has been doing through the first three months, he better not change a thing, and he’s continuing to look more comfortable and confident in a league as talented as the USHL.

Roed played in 25 USHL games last season, along with six in the playoffs. He appeared in 16 of those games before returning to Minnesota in November, where he eventually captained White Bear Lake to a Class 2A state tournament appearance – an experience he called one of the best of his life.

Roed returned to Kearney after his high school season, too, playing in nine more games for the Storm and those above-mentioned six playoff contests.

While it was a lot of hockey, and an adjustment at times, it provided plenty of valuable experience along the way.

Nolan Roed racked up 15 points (6-9-15) over 25 games for the Storm last season, along with six points (4-2-6) in six playoff games. “If he keeps doing what he’s doing on the defensive side of the puck, I think everything else will take care of itself and he’ll keep getting rewarded (offensively),” said Tri-City coach Marco Trevino. “He comes to work every day and he practices how he plays, and he’s always excited to be at the rink. He’s usually one of the first guys here and last ones to leave, and he has all the habits you want to see in a young player.” (Photo courtesy of Tri-City Storm / Eldon Holmes)

“Last year was huge, and honestly, coming into the (USHL) was really eye-opening,” Roed said. “It showed you how fast the pace is and how strong guys are, and how much work you have to put in if you want to be on top of your game. So coming into this year when you look back at (last season), that experience really helped.

“You kinda know what to expect, and I spent the summer trying to get faster and stronger, and you really try to learn from everything you go through and come back better.”

That difference is showing.

“Nolan’s skating is so good, and he creates a lot of opportunities for himself and space for others because of it, and he’s a really smart player,” said Tri-City head coach Marco Trevino. “He’s really developed into a true No. 1 center for us, but even last year when he was with us before and after his high school season, he played second-line center as a rookie – which isn’t easy to do.

“Even when there’s tough matchups, he’s been able to be responsible defensively and he’s continued to produce offensively too, and he’s done everything that we’ve asked. I just think we’ve seen a ton of growth with Nolan since he first got here, and he’s put such an emphasis on improving his overall game.”

Chris Anderson coached Roed for three seasons at White Bear Lake, with the first two as an assistant coach and last season as the head coach.

“He’s just a tenacious kid, and he’s really solidified himself as a 200-foot player,” Anderson said. “Obviously, he’s not the biggest kid size-wise, but he never gives up on pucks and is always willing to go into corners or battle, and he’s got a scoring touch to his game too.”

Nolan Roed scored 33 goals and added 25 assists over 30 games last season for the Bears. “He’s a gamer and it doesn’t matter if he’s in the offensive zone or his own zone, he plays hard all the time,” said White Bear Lake coach Chris Anderson. “He plays the game the right way and, don’t get me wrong, he was good when I first saw him. But he improved his game so much here and he’s such a mature kid, and goes about everything the right way on and off the ice. He’s such a good leader and he’s someone I just have so much respect for.” (Photo courtesy of Brennan Schachtner Photography)

Roed, who turned 19 this past October, enjoyed a tremendous high school season last winter, netting 33 goals and racking up 58 points. Roed captained the Bears to 20 wins, including a win over Hill-Murray in the Section 4 championship game.

While Roed said the decision to return for his high school senior season was a “no-brainer” and he’ll forever cherish playing with his childhood friends, it was difficult leaving Tri-City.

His older brother, Lleyton, played for the organization during the 2021-22 season, and Nolan “appreciated the opportunity” he was getting with the Storm, and he enjoyed the challenge that comes with playing in the USHL.

However, he didn’t accomplish what he wanted over his first two high school seasons, and it’s safe to say his decision has paid off.

Roed still spent almost half of last season with the Storm, too, and for a roster that featured so many new faces and a new head coach, he was looking to earn a leadership role this season, as well as contributing on the ice.

Roed was named one of Tri-City’s assistant captains earlier this month, and Trevino – who replaced Mark Abalan as Tri-City’s head coach on Dec. 3 – called him a “big leader” and “great kid.”

“We didn’t have many returners coming into this season, and obviously a new coach on top of it, so I knew as a second-year guy I could play a big role from a leadership aspect,” Roed said. “I’ve really tried to take that on and lead by example with the young guys, and getting named an assistant captain was really special.

Nolan Roed (right) alongside his older brother Lleyton (left), who currently plays for the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. “We still talk pretty close to every day whether it be about life, hockey or whatever,” Nolan said. “He’s been the guy I’ve looked up to my whole life and he’s gone through kinda the same path I’m on right now, so he’s really helped me. He’s always there to answer questions or give me advice, and he’s playing pro hockey now. He’s someone I’ve been able to learn so much from.” (Photo courtesy of Nolan Roed)

“Especially for an organization with the culture we have here, it’s a huge honor and I’m glad to see that everything is paying off.”

His work is paying off on the score sheet, too, and more people are certainly taking notice.

“I don’t think many people understand how talented and smart of a player he is, and to be honest, I don’t understand how he wasn’t an NHL pick (last summer) after how he did with us and in his high school season,” Trevino said. “I’m sure someone will nab him this year though and it’s a no-brainer for me.”

Roed hopes to make that come true, and the St. Cloud State commit wants to finish this season strong before joining the Huskies.

Roed’s goal is to continue focusing on the fine details of his game and simply “keep playing the right way,” especially defensively. The adjustment to the USHL was “eye-opening” at first, but he’s used the experience to his advantage and is quickly proving himself this season.

“It’s been a good year so far, but I want to come back from the break and keep working on my game and preparing myself (for the next level),” Roed said. “(Doing something with) hockey has honestly always been my plan, and I’ve just tried to keep pushing every day.

“I’ve always had the mindset that if I keep doing things the right way, things will work out in my favor, and I’ve always wanted to play college hockey and then see where that takes me. There really hasn’t been a backup plan, and I just want to keep working every day.”

The post Making His Own Roed appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

“Right Back Where We Started From” by Maxine Nightingale, which was released in the 1970s.

Whether coincidence or part of a set playlist, the song seems fitting for a deep Minnetonka Skippers team that returned a bunch of key players from last winter’s dominant Class 2A state championship team.

Only two games in, Minnetonka turned in a couple of dominating efforts on its home ice, outscoring Rosemount and Andover by a combined 18-3 margin. The Skippers put up a 10-3 victory over Rosemount to open the season Friday before an 8-0 shutout of Andover, a program it met in last year’s state semifinals (though this time without the since-graduated line featuring Cooper Conway, Gavyn Thorsen and Cayden Casey).

With so many state champions – and multiple Division I commits – returning to Minnetonka’s squad this season, Skippers coach Sean Goldsworthy acknowledged that his team isn’t starting from square one.

“First off, they’re committed to each other,” Goldsworthy said. “So, when they all come back, it makes things easier on each other. We have a lot of returning kids from a team that had great success last year. So that matters.”

Minnetonka comes into the season as a top-ranked team, according to the preseason rankings from Let’s Play Hockey magazine, while Andover is ranked No. 10. And the Skippers shut out the Huskies while outshooting them 42-5 on Saturday evening.

Minnetonka and Andover boys hockey shake hands after the Skippers won 8-0 on Nov. 25, 2023 at Pagel Ice Arena as part of the Tonka Thanksgiving Preview tournament. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

Senior Javon Moore had hat tricks both days, giving him a team-leading six goals and 10 points through just two games. His effort against Andover was highlighted by a breakaway, shorthanded goal in the first period. His second hat trick in as many games came with just more than 10 minutes left in regulation, sending the game to running time with a 6-0 lead.

Moore is followed by the senior Garry brothers; Luke with two goals and five assists and Gavin with three goals and four assists. Against Rosemount, the Garry brothers scored goals 50 seconds apart for a 2-1 lead. Gavin recorded a hat trick, and senior Hagen Burrows added five assists on Friday.

Depth? They have that, too. A dozen players have at least a point on those 18 goals over two games.

The goal right now, Goldsworthy said, is to “get the fall hockey out of them,” which usually takes eight to 10 games, he added.

“I think what you’re seeing is these kids are committed to getting it out of their system in about four or five games,” Goldsworthy said.

Minnetonka lost only twice last season, to Chanhassen and Wayzata, on the way to a state championship. Even though it’s cliché, staying in the moment throughout the season helped drive that successful title run, Goldsworthy said.

“You’ve got to stay in the week,” Goldsworthy said. “That’s what we did last year. These kids know when they do that, our success came from living in the moment.”

Despite the shutout loss, Andover split its games in the Tonka tourney, defeating No. 3-ranked Chanhassen 3-2 on Friday behind a pair of Casey Rodgers goals. The Huskies came into the season looking to replace the production of its top line from 2022-23; Conway-Thoreson-Casey scored 65% of the team’s 167 goals last season.

Chanhassen, which fell an overtime-goal short of the state tournament with a loss to Minnetonka last year, starts the season 0-2 with a one-goal loss to Andover and a 2-1 loss to Rosemount on Saturday. The Storm, who hit the ice just before the school’s football team took the field at U.S. Bank Stadium on the way to a thrilling Prep Bowl championship, trailed the entire game before getting a goal in the final minute of regulation.

Thanksgiving means puck drop on boys hockey
Most of the boys hockey teams got started with their seasons over the weekend. After the turkey coma ends, hockey players and fans head to various rinks on Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend for regular-season hockey and various holiday tournaments.

On the same night that Edina’s football team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Centennial in the Class 6A Prep Bowl, the No. 2-ranked Edina Hornets – last season’s runner-up in hockey – shut out No. 8-ranked Maple Grove 3-0 in the Wayzata Turkey Trot at Plymouth Ice Center. Wayzata started its season off with a pair of victories against No. 7-ranked Moorhead (6-1) and Maple Grove (6-4) in its home Turkey Trot.

White Bear Lake opened its season with a 4-3 overtime victory over Duluth East at home. Nolan Roed scored a pair of goals, including the winner at 2:37 of the extra session.

In Class 1A, last year’s runner-up Warroad lost 3-2 in overtime to St. Cloud Cathedral. Griffin Sturm scored the winner just before the final horn in overtime. Murray Marvin-Cordes scored both Warroad goals.

The post Tonka Is Back appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The post 2023 Hockey Day Minnesota Program appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Ryan Carter (No. 22) and fellow former Maverick David Backes await the ceremonial puck drop from current Minnesota State coach Mike Hastings prior to the Hockey Day Minnesota 2022 MSU alumni game. (David Faulkner / SPX Sports)

For the last three years, the longtime NHLer has been knee-deep in Hockey Day Minnesota festivities. With the event in Mankato in 2022, the former Minnesota State Maverick was one of the stars of the weekend, serving as a pseudo-ambassador, playing in the alumni game, broadcasting for Bally Sports North and generally running around like a chicken with his head cut off.

Things didn’t get much easier for him in 2023, with Hockey Day shifting north to his hometown, where the former White Bear Lake Bear is once again one of the starring attractions. 

Because the COVID-19 pandemic delayed Mankato’s day in the spotlight by 12 months, Carter has been essentially living and breathing Hockey Day for the last three years. 

Good thing he doesn’t have any connections in Warroad for 2024 … right?

“Time to take a Hockey Day breath,” Carter said with a chuckle.

The two Hockey Day experiences have been very different but equally satisfying for the affable Carter, who hasn’t turned down a single photo or interview request. 

Former Bears Ryan Carter (L) and Jon Anderson help Bally Sports North’s Marney Gellner reveal White Bear Lake as the 2023 Hockey Day Minnesota site on the ice in Mankato at the conclusion of HDM 2022.

“Last year, that was college alumni, people who supported the program, and lots of people close to the guys you played with,” Carter said. “So I knew a fair amount of people involved with running it [in Mankato].

“Here with this one though … top to bottom, I think I might know every face that comes through this place. It’s good this has finally come to White Bear. We’ve taken a lot of pride in this and I think we can all see why now with how it has turned out.”

Amazingly, Hockey Day Minnesota, celebrating its 17th annual event in 2023, had never ventured to White Bear Lake, which boasts one of the finest traditions in the State of Hockey. 

That’s certainly been the view of many in the community, including former alumni of the White Bear Lake Area High School program, which had so many former players take part in the alumni game, it had to create four teams just to get everybody involved.

“If you were to ask most people, they’d probably say, ‘White Bear hasn’t had it yet,'” Carter said. “It has created a lot of pride in our community, and as much as the other sports have had success, I might be biased, but this is a hockey town. To have the big marquee hockey event here in town is great.”

The last couple of years have provided Carter with a much different look at Hockey Day, who played on the unofficial hockey holiday as a member of the Wild at the tail end of his pro career.

But those Hockey Day experiences were very different, even as a native Minnesotan who was well aware of what this day means to so many.

“You’re kind of in your own world, concentrating on your own game, right?” Carter said. “Then you come out onside and you realize just how big of a deal this is, how big of a production it is and just how many people work so hard to make sure this event goes smoothly. It’s a big deal for these communities.”

Ryan Carter and fellow Bally Sports North personality Audra Martin talk Hockey Day Minnesota from the HDM 2023 Town Square at Polar Lakes Park in White Bear Township.

While Carter’s seemingly non-stop duties the last couple of Hockey Days have resulted in some long days and nights, he said he’ll do everything he can to try and soak in every last minute he can with his friends and family in White Bear Lake.

“I’d like to get things to slow down,” Carter said, “and just get a chance to talk to people and live a little bit more in the moment.

“Last year was such a scramble, trying to be everywhere, every minute. This year, I’ve tried to build in some time to just take it all in, chill and just hang out. It’s been great to catch up with so many people.”

The post Mr. Hockey Day appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Literally.

The 91st all-time meeting between these northeast metro schools, separated by just five miles, had another unforgettable chapter written, and not just because this edition was played outside. In a series that has featured countless dramatics and unforgettable endings, this one will go down in the history books forever.

Trailing by a goal in the final minute, the Pioneers used some early celebratory fireworks as motivation to find the tying goal with 46 seconds remaining in regulation before winning 2:06 into the extra session.

Brady Ingebritson is mobbed by teammates celebrating his game winner. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Both goals were scored by senior captain Brady Ingebritson, who celebrated his tying and winning exploits by leaping into the glass in front of a jubilant — and stunned — Pioneer student section.

“I’ll be talking about this the rest of my life,” Ingebritson said. “OT, Hockey Day, against White Bear Lake. This is just a dream come true.

“And I love the fireworks.”

Moments before the goal, Hill-Murray coach Bill Lechner called timeout to gather his troops ahead of an offensive zone faceoff and to pull his goalie for the extra attacker. 

Then, rather inexplicably, a fireworks display reminiscent of Fourth of July grand finale, began going off along the near horizon about 200 yards from the ice sheet. 

Did someone hit the button too early? Was there confusion with the horn signifying the end of the timeout? 

Regardless of what happened, it’s set in motion a series of events that will live in infamy in these parts for years. 

With smoke from the display settling in, and fireworks still going off in the distance, officials dropped the puck to resume play in the White Bear Lake defensive zone. Forced into a front-row viewing of the pyrotechnics was Bears sophomore goaltender Leo Gabriel, who corralled a first shot, but couldn’t contain a second, with Ingebritson whipping the puck through the haze and into the cage.

“The fireworks, that got my energy up,” Ingebritson said. “I got together with the guys and said, ‘look at this, they’re already celebrating the win.’

“Our energy was going. The fireworks were great, that helped us.”

It’s not often Lechner, the legendary 69-year-old head coach of the Pioneers, sees something new at a hockey rink. But this certainly qualified.

“We always talk about, ‘play between the glass,’ if we’re focused, they don’t know if they’re playing in front of 10 people or 10,000,” Lechner said. “It’s easier said than done, especially with kids. They’re not pros.”

It’s a consistent message that Lechner preaches, regardless of the setting, the opponent or the time of game, and in this case, that calm paid off.

When things got wild at the end, Hill-Murray looked calm and composed in a setting that was anything but.

“It’s easy to say when you win that you have the perfect formula,” Lechner said. “It’s a little bit early to have everything falling into place, and we still don’t have all the pieces, but we’ll get some guys back and we’ll get closer.”

The post Captain Chaos Stuns Bears appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The post HDM Gallery: Bears vs. Pioneers appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

It also happened to be the first week of hockey season.

Granted the OK by Ponies girls hockey head coach Annie Cashman to take the team’s afternoon practice off, junior Brooke Nelson strolled into St. Croix Valley Rec Center just a few hours after her soccer season had ended ready to start her winter sport.

Cashman describes Nelson as a bit of a throwback. In this day and age of the specialized athlete, Nelson is one of the state’s best soccer players and also excels on the ice. 

And she does it while maintaining a low-maintenance attitude.

“She wants zero attention, zero accolades,” Cashman said. “She just wants to be there for her sisters and go out and play.”

In the midst of an impactful campaign for the ninth-ranked Ponies, Nelson had a bit of a coming out party on Hockey Day, scoring four goals, including a natural hat trick in the first period, in an 8-3 win over host White Bear Lake. 

Four of Nelson’s junior classmates are already committed to Division I schools to play hockey, and if she put her mind to it, Nelson could likely make it five.

Not bad for her “part-time job,” as Cashman describes it.

Brooke Nelson (12) battles a trio of White Bear Lake Bears for puck possession on Hockey Day Minnesota at Polar Lakes Park in White Bear Township. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

“She’s about as good of an athlete as you’ll come by,” said Ponies senior captain Avery Braunshausen. “She’s excelled in soccer since we were iddy-iddy-biddy. She excels in hockey. Having someone like that on our hockey team, and someone that knows what it’s like to play on a team that makes a state tournament, that knowledge is helpful.”

Nelson insists her soccer skills translate on the ice and make her a better hockey player.

“I think I’m able to see the ice differently than other people,” Nelson said. “In soccer, it’s all about finding space, and I can translate that on the ice, finding the puck in spaces that people don’t really expect you to.”

Nelson is one member of an outstanding junior class where she, admittedly, flies a bit under the radar, something she’s perfectly fine with. 

Josie St. Martin started the month with the U.S. National Team in Sweden and is headed for Ohio State. Addison Finn will play collegiately at Boston University, Josie Lang will attend Providence and Myah Krueger, who did not play at Hockey Day, is committed to St. Cloud State. 

“I’ve played with a lot of these girls since I was really little,”  Nelson said. “So for me, I’m just going out to play with my friends and do our thing.”

With all of that junior talent on its roster, Nelson’s Hockey Day performance showcases exactly what makes the Ponies dangerous as section time approaches.

On any given day, someone new can help carry the load, whether it’s one of their junior superstars, or one of its senior leaders.

“Brooke is a great player and we’re all super proud of her. But it just as easily could have been Josie or that whole junior class,” Braunshausen said. “Our whole team is so talented. Today it was Brooke.

“It’s one of things that makes us so successful and why our team excels, when we’re all using each other’s strengths. One of the things about our team is we all have different strengths and we have lots of moving parts.”

At Hockey Day, Nelson found herself on the business end of a collision early on that left her down on the ice and slow to the bench. 

After laboring back to her teammates and shaking off the trainer, it didn’t take Nelson to exact revenge.

One shift, to be exact.

Her next time on the ice, Nelson scored her first goal, one that gave Stillwater a 2-1 lead, an advantage it wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way.

“When I scored, I was good,” Nelson said. 

So was Stillwater.

It’s early one-goal deficit was the first time this season the Ponies had trailed in a conference game, but it’s the kind of adversity that could come in handy as sections approaches.

When section play begins early next month, Stillwater will likely start with either Woodbury or East Ridge, two teams that have hung tough in both meetings this season.

Should the Ponies win there, potential semifinal and final foes could include rivals Hill-Murray and Gentry Academy, two of the best girls hockey programs in Minnesota.

The post Dual Threat appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The post HDM 2023 Gallery: Ponies vs. Bears appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Ryan Carter and Jon Anderson reveal 2023’s Hockey Day Minnesota host city.

Minnesota Wild Director of Community Relations and Hockey Partnerships, Wayne Petersen, made the announcement alongside White Bear Lake Local Organizing Committee members Corey Roberts, Ryan Carter and former White Bear Lake and Gopher forward Jon Anderson. The northeast suburb has a long hockey history, producing such hockey greats as Moose Goheen, Elwyn “Doc” Romnes and Hobey Baker Award winner Brian Bonin.

“It’s a once in a lifetime chance for any community and for us in White bear to to have this opportunity, it’s a real blessing for us,” Anderson said. “There’s some real strong history there, going way back when … so I’m looking forward to telling that story.”

The site for the event is actually in neighboring White Bear Township at Polar Lakes Park along I-35E just north of Highway 96.

Considering the tremendous job done by the Mankato community in hosting a well-organized and memorable event of great scale, the committee would appear to have its work cut out for them. 

“Clearly we have a lot of work in front of us,” said Cory Roberts who, along with Anderson and Nick Guzzo, co-chairs the local organizing committee. “We certainly want to make our event unique to White Bear, as well. It doesn’t necessarily have to be bigger than every Hockey Day Minnesota, it just needs to be unique.”

The event will mark two straight years with a heavy Ryan Carter presence. The former Minnesota State and Wild forward grew up in and played his high school hockey in White Bear Lake. Carter was a Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist as a senior for the Bears in 2002 helped Anderson with the reveal on Bally’s Sports North.

“Well, I think I can sum it up this way, I’ve never said no to a party so, back-to-back parties, it’s gonna be fun, right?” Carter said. “White Bear Lake, we’re a proud community, a proud hockey community and I don’t doubt that we’re gonna represent Hockey Day Minnesota very well.”

(Photo courtesy of Vintage Minnesota Hockey)

The post Go Bears! appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

On a chilly, late-September day, hockey was in the air as a community gathered to celebrate the preservation and restoration of its city rink. The City of White Bear Lake held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 29 to officially re-open the White Bear Lake Sports Center (WBLSC) after a skateless summer.

Members of the White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association (WBLAHA), the White Bear Lake Skate School, and the general public looked on as Mayor Jo Emerson ceremonially drove the building’s Olympia ice resurfacer through a red ribbon and onto the ice generated by the facility’s new refrigeration system.

“We are very proud of this,” Emerson told the black and orange-clad crowd. “We want our hockey players and our figure skaters to have this home and I think it’s a great home and it will serve us well for years to come.”

The festivities included performances by skate school alumni Sydney Berrier and Maria Starr, who have moved on to professional careers with Disney on Ice.

In addition to the new refrigeration system, the $5.5 million project includes a new air exchange and monitoring system, all new LED lighting both inside and out, new ceiling tiles, roof and siding. Translucent panels have been added above a portion of the brand new bleachers to supplement the new lighting with an influx of natural light.

The project is the result of a partnership between the city and the WBLAHA in which the association is contributing $2.5 million. WBLAHA President Kevin McFarlane delivered a $500,000 down-payment check to the city council at its Sept. 25 meeting with the remaining $2 million to be paid back over the next 20 years.

It is a partnership that nearly didn’t happen, though, which would have dealt a devastating blow to the hundreds of youngfigure skaters and hockey players who depend on their hometown arena.

As it approaches its 30th season of operation, the WBLSC has long been showing signs of aging. Outside of general disrepair, cracks in the rink floor had developed and the refrigeration system was starting to leak but WBLSC Supervisor Bruce Bates’ hands were tied by budget restraints.

“We knew that the system was going to be breaking down and, on top of that, they were no longer making parts for our particular rink refrigeration system,” Bates said. “So we literally were going to rinks as they closed and remodeled like we just did. We were going to their site and stealing parts. They literally said come, bring a Sawzall, cut off a valve, a vent, that weren’t being made anymore. So we had quite the inventory here, for a number of years, of stuff on the shelf and it really saved us.”

The system experienced some breakdowns over the last year which completely depleted the used spare part inventory and from there Bates said they just kept their fingers crossed.

“It was scary because you make commitments to people and you don’t want to call them and tell them, ‘Hey, we have a problem, we had a breakdown, we can’t have ice anymore,’” Bates said.

The arena typically shuts down and removes the ice for a month in the offseason for maintenance purposes before hosting summer hockey training and skating. That idea was scrapped for the summer of 2017.

“They didn’t take it out because they were nervous that if they took it out, thawed everything and re-froze it later they would have more issues,” McFarlane said.

According to Bates, the city, at that point, was considering pulling the plug and selling the property if and when that next breakdown occurred.

“That wasn’t going to sit with a lot of people,” Bates said. “This is a huge value to the community, even if you’re not a hockey player.”

So McFarlane and Bates, among others, joined forces in a campaign to save the arena, not only for the short term, but for future generations. McFarlane brought his concerns to WBLAHA board members and got the green light to proceed.

“Everybody jumped on board with what we wanted to do and the fact that we needed to save the rink,” McFarlane said. “Then it was a push to make sure the city would go along with it and that wasn’t easy.”

With the WBLAHA’s boundaries consistent with the White Bear Lake Area School District 624 which serves all or parts of nine surrounding cities, White Bear Lake’s concern was why should the city bear the burden for renovating a facility used by so many who don’t generate property tax revenue for the city?

“We looked at that in three ways,” Bates said. “One, if you live in [White Bear] Township or Vadnais Heights or Hugo and you ask them, ‘Where are you from?’ they say, ‘I’m from White Bear.’ It’s more of a White Bear proper, White Bear school district boundary feeling, if you will, I think a lot of people feel that way in this part of the town. Secondly, I think they looked at the economic impact. The third thing, I think, would be the city is turning over. A lot of the seniors in town are selling their homes and there’s a lot of young families moving in. I think some council members looked at that, as we tried to argue, what’s the draw to this town?

“They looked at all those things and said, ‘You know what? That is an asset that does help draw people.’”

McFarlane and Bates both credit White Bear Lake City Manager Ellen Hiniker with being instrumental in securing the city’s investment in the project.

“She saw the rink as an asset, didn’t see it as a burden,” Bates said. “Another way that she’s looking at it is from a re-development perspective. We’re hoping that this is the start of a re-development of this area as kind of a gateway into town right here on Highway 96 where thousands of cars go by every day.”

McFarlane says 90 percent of the WBLAHA’s contribution was raised via charitable gambling with rest coming from direct donations from families and area businesses. One such donor is Carlson Chiropractic owner Dustin Carlson, who grew up playing hockey with McFarlane and skated in the White Bear Lake Sports Center when it first opened. Carlson has pledged $25,000 per year for the next five years.

Retired NHL and Minnesota Wild player Ryan Carter, who starred as a youth and high school player in White Bear Lake is happy to see what he calls the focal point of his youth hockey career saved from extinction.

“It’s neat the city and community re-invested in it,” said Carter who delivered the Stanley Cup to the WBLSC in 2007 as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. “I understand the economics behind it and a lot of people other than the city are getting use out of it but I think it’s valuable to the community and I’m happy to hear that there’s been a commitment to it and people recognize the fact that White Bear’s a hockey town and they deserve a rink or maybe two.”

Two Rinks, you say? Almost nothing makes McFarlane’s eyes light up more than the thought of what he call Phase II.

“My big picture idea is another rink, one where the high school team can play, to actually play within the city of White Bear which they haven’t done since God knows when,” McFarlane said. “To have two sheets of ice here, potentially have a curling rink and more of a centerpiece for this side of town.

“Right now, I think we’ve got Phase I. The main portion was making sure this rink was still here to use, which it wasn’t going to be.”

McFarlane says he envisions an arena with three-sided seating which emulates history and sense of community found in Duluth’s Heritage Sports Center and the IRA Civic Center in Grand Rapids. It is an ambitious vision which McFarlane and Bates both agree will require the participation of a school district whose varsity boys teams have not played within the city limits in decades. The White Bear Lake girls’ varsity team, on the other hand, will return to the WBLSC after several years of calling the Vadnais Sports Center home.

“I believe they desperately need a facility for that high school and I would love to see it back in White Bear,” McFarlane said. “So if we can get the community and the school board involved in it, we shouldn’t have to fundraise the entire sum, but we do want to get involved and helped them out to get that built too.”

With that in mind, Bates said extra money was built into the budget to prepare for the potential addition, including installing a refrigeration system capable of handling two rinks, setting it at the proper angle and doing the preliminary piping work required in order to connect to the new arena when the time comes.

White Bear Lake City Engineer Mark Burch, a life-long player and current referee, managed the the renovation of the one-time tennis and racquetball club just as he did in back 1989 after its property owners were convinced to sell it to the city at a reduced price for the purpose of converting it to a rink.

“One of his first jobs when he started here, the City Manager said, ‘Hey, you’re a hockey guy, we’re contemplating buying a building and turning it into an ice rink,’ and, of course he jumped on board with that, he just loved the project.” Bates said. “He was going to retire and the city was in at that point and they said, ‘Mark will you stick around and manage this project and put off your retirement?’ and he did.”

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