The post The Rink Brats (Episode 3) appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

“When I heard all of them come in and speak… it made me want to get my sons into hockey,” McBride said. “That’s the kind of people that it produces, these men.”

She was in search of male role models for her sons. Enter hockey and the Richfield Little Spartans, a new youth hockey program for various ages, experience levels and diverse backgrounds. The diversity piece was huge for McBride, who moved to Minnesota for medical school in 2015 and said she’s “never felt a part of this community.”

“In every sector I go it’s, unfortunately, diversity really does make a difference for me feeling comfortable,” McBride said.

Terri McBride and her son, Xavier, take in the Blues vs. Wild game on March 23 at Xcel Energy Center. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Walsh)

Hockey came at the perfect time for her family last fall. Her son Xavier started hockey in December with the Little Spartans.

“It’s really been like perfect timing that we had a new family and new structure to come to every weekend,” McBride said.

McBride and her son attended their first Wild game with a group of other Little Spartans participants and their parents/guardians, thanks to InSports Foundation, on March 23 when Minnesota hosted the St. Louis Blues at Xcel Energy Center. Xavier loved the peanuts and the music, his mom said, and he gave his approval of the game with a thumbs-up signal from his seat in the lower bowl behind the Wild’s net.

It was also fitting that the Blues were in town because Xavier was born in St. Louis. He came two months early while McBride was in the area for her Coast Guard drills. While Xavier was in the NICU in St. Louis for a month, Blues fans celebrated the team’s Stanley Cup run in 2019.

“We’re not hockey people,” McBride said. “We’ve never been to a game. I don’t even understand the rules. We want to learn.”

McBride and her son have started to learn through being part of the Little Spartans program. This winter was the first season for the program, with Anthony Walsh, Edina graduate and author of the children’s book “Hockey is for Everybody,” as a coach. The program met each weekend in the mornings starting in December at Richfield Ice Arena with anywhere between 40 to 65 kids participating.

Nine-year-old Carlos Martinez took in the Blues vs. Wild action as well, as part of the Little Spartans group. It was his first Wild game, and he said he liked seeing the players up close. His favorite thing about playing hockey? “Skating fast.”

Walsh recalls how Martinez couldn’t skate – he’d never tried before – when he first joined the program.

“Now, this kid is flying around,” Walsh said. “One-timers, putting it home. It’s incredible.”

Brian Boyer, another coach with the Little Spartans, attended the game with his 5-year-old son, Remi. March 23 wasn’t Remi’s first Wild game. He got interested enough to start playing hockey after coming to a lot of Wild games in the past, his dad said. Now, Remi loves getting on the ice with the Little Spartans.

“We wake him up Saturday morning, and he just jumps out of bed,” Boyer said. “We just count down the days of the week until Saturday… and he gets to play. He’s obsessed.”

They’re going to continue to stay involved with the Little Spartans, and Boyer said he looks forward to coaching more, too.

“It’s been really fun to watch him really fall in love with hockey, and then really focus on something,” Boyer said. “For a 5-year-old, there’s not a lot that interested him. It’s been really fun. He wants to play as much hockey as he possibly can.”

Special visitor
Before the Wild game that day, a game ultimately won by the Blues 5-4 in overtime, the Little Spartans had a special guest at their practice at Richfield Ice Arena. Former Wild defenseman and Elk River native Nate Prosser stopped by and was on the ice with the young players.

Boyer said that while a lot of the kids didn’t realize who Prosser was, it was the parents who were excited to see the former NHLer working with their kids, since they remember when Prosser played for the Wild from the 2009-10 to 2016-17 seasons. Boyer added that the kids were all excited about which former NHL player was going to see them, taking guesses in the locker room the previous week, Boyer said, “but their guesses were far from accurate.”

Parent Owen Fors noticed more parents than usual at the special morning practice with Prosser in attendance.

“He had a really nice way of working with the kids,” Fors said. “Obviously, a lot of hockey experience. Knows the nitty gritty details. So, he knows how to make the kids focus on those little details but still have fun while doing it.”

Owen Fors took his son Kyllian to his first Minnesota Wild game as part of the Little Spartans outing on March 23. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Walsh)

While young Remi was already a veteran fan of Wild hockey games, Fors’ son, Kyllian, sat nearby at the X on March 23 and held a souvenir certificate marking his very first Wild game. Kyllian sat with his dad. The tradition of Richfield hockey is a generational activity for the Fors family.

Owen Fors was on the last varsity team for Richfield, and now his son Kyllian is part of the rebirth of the program. The Richfield program merged with Kennedy during Owen’s squirt year of hockey, he said, so he didn’t get a chance to play out of mites with Richfield. But by eighth grade, he had an opportunity to play on Richfield’s last varsity team; he was only one of a dozen players who returned the next season, meaning they couldn’t have a team.

Owen is happy to have a youth hockey program back in Richfield for his son, and he noted the benefits of a city having its own team.

“It kind of just builds pride in the program and the school,” Owen said.

Father-son hockey traditions
Six-year-old Dominic had also been to Wild games before, but he took in the action on this day with his Little Spartans cohorts. He said he likes “to learn” when he’s watching the Wild. As a player, Dominic likes to skate, score and make new friends.

Besides the Little Spartans, Dominic, who’s been skating since he was 3 years old, plays within Edina’s youth organization as well. But his dad, Tony DeRocha, wants his son to keep skating with the Little Spartans in hopes that he’ll learn a lot of basic hockey skills.

Little Spartans are diverse, from age to hockey skills to ethnic and economic backgrounds. DeRocha also played hockey, for Cretin-Derham Hall where he’s currently on the coaching staff for the football team. His grandparents were immigrants.

“Just think generationally,” DeRocha said. “When they become parents, what the game will look like.”

It’s exciting to see kids have this opportunity with the Little Spartans, DeRocha said.

“They’ve got a good thing going,” DeRocha said. “It’s important as a parent to see him see other kids making those strides.”

Little Spartans on the ice at Richfield Ice Arena. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Walsh)

The post Little Spartans appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Every year during the spring, the DinoMights organization brings in kids ages seven and eight (1st and 2nd grade) from Minneapolis and St. Paul to teach them how to ice skate. During this six week program they teach kids the basics of skating in a very inclusive and encouraging environment.

Skating for the first time, which is the case for most of the kids they serve, can be a very anxious task. With the help of the DinoMights staff and many amazing volunteers they help minimize any self doubts about stepping into the unfamiliar world of hockey.  Their smiles and confidence grow throughout the course of the program and, if you volunteer, you will be a part of many unforgettable and important moments that these kids can share and experience for the rest of their lives.

Although there are still many barriers that prevent kids from being able to join the world of hockey, DinoMights provides a solution by bringing in kids from areas that often get overlooked to both participate in and enjoy our Learn 2 Skate program.

The DinoMights are seeking groups and individuals to volunteer to help tie skates, and to give a hand on the ice. They hope to see you!

Here is the link to sign up to volunteer:

https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/4110193960127/false#/invitation 

Above details provided by Scott Harman, DinoMights Executive Director

The post DinoMights – Learn 2 Skate Program appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Mosaic Hockey Collective players take part in a shootout competition during first intermission at Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 9, 2023. (Jeff Wegge/Minnesota Hockey Magazine)

“I think for me, I was just set out to normalize black and brown faces in hockey,” Meredith Lang said. “I just wanted them to know that they have a place.”

Mosaic Hockey Collective is a newly formed 501©3 focused on building an inclusive hockey community that empowers players of color with skills, resources and positive experiences to grow and give back to the game.

Lang, a 2022 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award finalist, said she doesn’t want any player of color to quit playing hockey or feel like the sport isn’t for them because of bad experiences.

“I don’t want to lose one kid,” Lang said. “So to me, the motivation is I understand the culture. We can support and say, ‘no, we’ve got you.’”

Mosaic Hockey Collective, though relatively new, has already had a few events, including a clinic with the Augsburg women’s hockey team in January, Matt Dumba’s Hockey Without Limits event in Roseville on Feb. 20 and Black History Night with the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 9.

At the first intermission of that Wild game, youth players involved with Mosaic Hockey Collective took part in a shootout competition at both ends of the ice. Some of the goal-scoring moves were pretty impressive and drew boisterous cheers from the crowd. They practiced their deking moves all week leading up to that night, and the goalies worked on having their A-games, too, Lang said.

Lang made the “Let’s Play Hockey!” call prior to puck drop for that matchup between Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild that night. She was joined at the microphone by her daughters, Aubrey and 11-year-old Mia Lang, both hockey players.

When Aubrey asked about playing hockey nearly a decade ago, Meredith, a former Richfield High School hockey player, was a little confused, since they didn’t talk about hockey.

“’What do you know about hockey? And why?’” Lang asked her daughter. “I’m blessed that I did play a little bit. But I had my high school friends, and I could just call them up and say, ‘my kid wants to play hockey. What does that mean? What do I do?’”

Within a week, her daughter was all set with equipment, learning to skate and getting placed on a hockey team. That’s not a path that every family in Lang’s community is fortunate enough to be on, however.

But Lang does have some of that knowledge, thus she started Hockey Ninas and Minnesota Unbounded before moving on to starting Mosaic Hockey Collective in December 2022. This program also incorporates boys, as Mosaic includes girls and boys from the BIPOC community who are hockey association players from around Minnesota. Mosaic represents about 30 communities in the Twin Cities metro area but also have families from Fargo and Wisconsin involved.

“They want to play the game at the highest level, whatever that is for them,” Lang said. “And we are able to provide amazing experience for them, development opportunities.”

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba and Aubrey Lang at Dumba’s Hockey Without Limits event on Feb. 20, 2023. (Submitted photo)

At the heart of Mosaic is the community of youth hockey players and their families who all love hockey. It’s made up of boys and girls who play association hockey in the age range anywhere from U6 to high school. Mosaic wants to hit the demographic because these are kids who are invested in hockey but need help getting to whatever their next level may be, like development, a next-level opportunity or exposure.

It’s also important for the kids in Mosaic to see that there are other kids who look like them who play hockey.

“Honestly, not to exaggerate, but I do think it’s life changing for these kids,” Meredith said.

Mosaic will have weekly developmental practices for kids on the ice from April through August, along with some guest coaching. Jason Poitra’s three daughters, who play hockey in Edina, are involved in Mosaic. He’s excited about the new venture.

“I think this is great, what’s going on. I really do,” Poitra said. “It opens a lot of eyes for whoever is on the outside looking in. I think it’s great.”

Poitra, a native American, grew up a hockey player in South Minneapolis before moving to White Bear Lake. Being part of Mosaic is personal for him, and it’s an organization he wished he would have had growing up.

“Specifically to make things more comfortable as a minority kid playing the game of hockey, which is predominantly dominated by, is a white sport,” Poitra said. “And that’s just the truth.”

Mosaic’s main mission is to continue to grow the game of hockey and have it be a more inclusive sport and representative of players of color.

“When we look at teams, there’s maybe one boy or girl of color on a team,” said Michael Hafertepe, a Mosaic Hockey Collective board member. “So it’s really about trying to bring awareness that kids of color can play hockey.”

Mosaic is also about shrinking the game for these young players so that they can have some of these great experiences, like playing on the Xcel Energy Center ice sheet, to help fuel them, Lang said.

“We believe that the more positive experiences they have, the longer they’re going to play, the longevity that they’re going to have,” Lang said. “Then they are going to cycle through and they are going to end up growing the game.”

Mosaic Hockey Collective players at Matt Dumba’s Hockey Without Limits event on Feb. 20, 2023. (Submitted Photo)

Part of Mosaic Hockey Collective’s mission is for these kids to be involved with the sport of hockey in more ways than playing the game. The initiative is all-encompassing surrounding hockey, helping to open doors for kids.

The faces of Mosaic will also be hockey coaches, referees and members of a hockey-team front office.

“That’s how we’re going to grow the game, and that’s our initiative,” Lang said.

Hafertepe, a Richfield native (adopted from Korea as a baby) who played hockey growing up and is now a U15 coach in Lakeville, started working with Lang a couple of years ago when she started Minnesota Unbounded. One of the fun parts of Mosaic Hockey Collective is recruiting kids when his teams are out playing games, to help build the Mosaic community.

“Then it’s just helping get those players to whatever level, next level they want to get to,” Hafertepe said. “Whether that’s college hockey, whether that’s high school hockey. Whether that’s making the next A team. That’s what we’re here for.”

The post Mission: Mosaic appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

No matter how many children they raise in the sport, each of them experiences that one first-ever hockey practice and everything that comes with it: The excitement, the anticipation and, for many, the trepidation. Child and parent alike are susceptible to one or all of these feelings — and more —on Day 1 of a youth hockey “career.”

It’s one thing to walk into a rink to watch a sibling play, but what goes through a player’s mind as he or she steps into an arena lobby or locker room filled with peers on the verge of making their organized hockey debut?

In her new book, I’m Going to Be a Hockey Star, A.L. Wegwerth tells that story through the eyes and imagination of one little boy whose aspirations already extend well beyond his immediate surroundings. Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target and Walmart, among others, the 32-page hard-cover picture book was released on Nov. 8, just in time for the Christmas season.

“The premise of the book is just a little kid getting ready for hockey practice and it’s kind of showing you in the first half what to expect; you know, you’re going to fall and all that stuff,” Wegwerth said. “But then as it goes on, he’s dreaming of what he will do when he’s a hockey star.”

A.L. Wegwerth is a pseudonym for Amber Ross, a 15-year publishing veteran, the last 13 of which has been spent focused on children’s publishing.

“I told my husband that when I got famous, I was going to use my maiden name,” a chuckling Ross said over coffee in a White Bear Lake café near where she and her husband, Dan, raise and coach their three children, ages 6, 9 and 11.

Not surprisingly, Ross says the book is “very much informed by me watching and helping coach my kids.”

Amber Ross, aka A.L. Wegworth (riverhorsebooks.com photo)

“This is my fifth book, but it’s definitely the one that’s closest to my heart just because it relates so much with my kids and everything,” Ross said. “They were so sick of reading of it by the end.

“It was like, ‘Okay, can I read it to you now?’

‘Mom, you just read it?’

‘Well, I know but I changed some things.’

‘It sounds the same.’

‘Well, it really doesn’t but, okay.’

“They had a consulting role, for sure,” Ross added.

Enhanced by Canadian illustrator Alana McCarthy’s colorful, eye-popping illustrations, the book takes the reader through his vision of the upcoming practice and how his hard work and skill development puts him on a path to hockey stardom.

Despite her Canadian heritage, McCarthy did not come from a hockey background, so Ross worked closely with her, sharing photos of her own children, to inform McCarthy’s drawings regarding apparel, jersey fit and hand position on sticks.

“So, it was kind of fun to be able to direct her in that too,” Ross said. “I got to be more involved than a typical author would be.”

Published by St. Paul-based independent children’s book publisher, River Horse Children’s Books, the concept for I want to Be a Hockey Star was brought to Ross by her friend and long-time former colleague John Rahm, who launched River Horse after they were each let go by their previous employer due to the pandemic.

“Since I coached and I played, he asked me to write something for his list,” Ross said. “He wanted something for beginning hockey players, like what to expect when they get on the ice. I was like, ‘OK, well, that’s a little bit boring.’ So, I actually gave him what I call three and a half ideas of different ways we could approach it and this was my half idea.

“I knew him well enough that I knew he would get where I was going with it and he said, ‘I like that one, do that.’”

Ironically, the former Amber Wegwerth got a late start in her hockey career. Unlike her book’s subject, Ross did not skate competitively until the age of 15 but was a quick study and played her prep hockey for late-90s Minnesota girls’ high school powerhouse, Roseville, skating to a state tournament with legendary names like Curtin (Ronda and Renee) and Brodt (Chelsey) in 1998.

“I always call myself a pioneer because it was right when girls hockey was getting big in Minnesota,” said Ross, by day a managing editor for Lerner Publishing Group. “And then I had the opportunity to do it in college, too, at St. Ben’s.”

Along with her twin sister — and Roseville teammate — Kelly, Ross was a member of the first class at the College of Saint Benedict to play all four years with the school’s newly-formed women’s varsity hockey program. Ross collected 11 goals among 34 points as one of only three players to play in all 103 games from 1998 to 2002, serving as a co-captain as a senior.

It’s a personal story which pairs well with the dream-big message Ross sends to her readers in I’m Going to Be a Hockey Star.

The post Puck Dreams appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Owen Nei competes in his final game with his youth Highland Park hockey team at Charles Schultz Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Photo by Ben Brewer courtesy of Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care)

This might be setting the scene for a boys’ section final hockey game. But chants of “Owen! Owen! Owen!” rang out and dozens of red paper signs labeled with a nickname “O-Dawg” scattered the stands. It all supported 13-year-old St. Paul Capitals Hockey peewee C blue team player Owen Nei, who skated in his final organized, competitive hockey game.

“My son played for CDH (Cretin-Derham Hall), and he said: ‘I don’t think it was ever this full when I played for CDH,’” said Chris Nei, Owen’s father and head coach of the Capitals.

This was a special night for Owen and his family, marking the end of his playing career. Owen served as Gillette Children’s St. Paul spokesperson for the Minnesota Wild’s and Hiway Credit Union Hockey Kids4Kids program.

Owen had to get permission to play hockey at all, because of his health. With a thinner spinal column at the brain stem area, Owen is a higher risk for injury, where even a heavy whiplash could have an impact, according to Chris. Owen has undergone multiple surgeries addressing Goldenhar syndrome, a rare malformation of the cranial structure.

Because of those health risks at the next level, Owen is stepping away from organized hockey.

“You can’t stop living,” Chris said. “But when it comes to checking, that’s just a whole other thing where he just doesn’t quite have the coordination to protect himself.”

For player introductions before his final game, the arena went dark except for a spotlight. Players lined up at the goal line, and Owen heard the loudest cheers as he skated to the blue line announced as the starting center. The crowd roared when he took the opening faceoff, anticipation rose any time he got near the puck and it was always obvious when Owen hit the ice for another shift, based on the crowd noise.

Owen Nei’s fans packed the house for his final youth hockey game with his Highland Park hockey team at Charles Schultz Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Photo by Ben Brewer courtesy of Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care)

For Chris Nei, the entire night was overwhelming.

“It’s bittersweet,” Chris said. “I don’t know what to say. Half the time I was crying out on the ice, watching this whole thing unfold, seeing an arena packed full.”

To put a bit of icing on the cake, Owen scored a goal in the eventual 9-0 victory for his team. Camped out in front of the net during a power play, Owen tipped the puck into the net.

“Yeah, it was off my shoulder, and I just looked around,” Owen said. “It was crazy. The whole crowd went crazy.

“That was amazing. I loved it. The crowd loved it. Everyone loved it.”

Scoring goals is most definitely one thing Owen said he’ll miss about playing the game.

Once the final buzzer sounded, Owen was supported by his teammates and opponents at center ice. Owen’s family joined him on the ice as a proclamation was read from the city of St. Paul, declaring Feb. 11, 2022 as Owen Nei Day. Owen took the sheet with the proclamation and skated excitedly along the glass near the fan section, showing off the paper with excitement.

The day was marked with more than just the finality of one last game for Owen. Surprises started before the players hit the ice, when former Minnesota Wild forward Wes Walz showed up in the team’s locker room carrying a special memento to present to Owen: A Kirill Kaprizov-signed stick.

“I’m assuming Kaprizov’s his favorite player, because (Owen) almost started crying, which made me almost start crying,” Walz said.  

Along with the stick, the Wild also donated a suite for Owen and his teammates to enjoy the March 27 game against the Colorado Avalanche at Xcel Energy Center.

Surrounded by his family, Owen Nei holds up from the city of St. Paul, declaring Feb. 11, 2022 as Owen Nei Day in Saint Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Ben Brewer courtesy of Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care)

Walz hadn’t met Owen before, but he recognized his face right away from the Hiway Credit Union commercials Owen was in with former Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk. That made Walz recall the conversations he’d had with Dubnyk about Owen, with Dubnyk saying Owen is “just the sweetest soul, just a joyful kid,” Walz said.

Owen’s an amazing kid who is an example of the human spirit and overcoming anything in life if you put your mind to it, Walz said. While Owen has gone through a lot in life, he keeps it simple and doesn’t let anything stand in his way, Walz added.

“I told Owen we got a lot in common because I retired from playing organized hockey, too,” Walz said. “So we all at some point in our life retire from organized hockey. And it doesn’t mean you never play hockey again.”

Everything about the last game from the fan support to the declaration from St. Paul was so sweet for Owen, his dad said.

“He’s always just wanted to be a DI hockey player, NHLer like every little kid that dreams about it,” Chris said. “Knowing it was going to end, we were at a Bismarck tournament. We actually won it. He was crying when we got home. He said, ‘I just don’t want this to end. I’m just having so much fun with my friends.’

“That was special.”

With all the fanfare of the day, Owen said his last game wasn’t that hard.

“But after the game, I kind of teared up,” Owen said.

Owen Nei points to the shoulder off of which his final youth goal was scored for his Highland Park hockey team at Charles Schultz Arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Friday, Feb. 11, 2022. (Photo by Ben Brewer courtesy of Gillette Children’s Specialty Health Care)

After the game, Owen, his family, teammates and hockey community gathered for a reception at the arena, complete with cookies with “Owen” written on them in icing. Media members were there for interviews, and representatives of Hiway Credit Union and Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul were also on hand to mark the occasion.

The surprises weren’t done either. Owen received special video messages from Dubnyk and then current Wild forward Marcus Foligno. Owen’s grin spread wider and wider across his face while he watched and listened to Foligno congratulate Owen on his hockey career.

“It probably made my day,” Owen said. “Besides the Kirill Kaprizov stick.”

Though Owen’s journey on the ice playing organized hockey may have come to an end, he’ll still be around the game. He’ll cheer on the Minnesota Wild, of course, and he’s already got plans for next season. Cretin-Derham Hall boys’ varsity coach Matt Funk made the offer to Owen to be the team manager next season, if it’s OK with his parents.

So Owen will still be part of hockey and is “super excited” for that next opportunity.  

Watch him play, see the smile on his face, how he lights up being at the rink and around the game. Owen is a kid who loves hockey, pure and simple.

“It’s been my life,” Owen said. “It’s so fun.”

The post Owen and Out appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

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The post Photo Feature: Riley’s Big Night appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

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For the fourth straight year a pair of youth hockey teams received the NHL experience in the Minnesota Wild’s annual Youth Hockey Spotlight Game Presented by U.S. Bank. Peewee B1 teams from Cottage Grove and Eagan received the surprise of their lives at Eagan Civic Arena on Tuesday night when they were greeted by Wild-themed locker rooms upon arrival with custom game jerseys waiting for them in stalls bearing their names on Wild-themed placards.

Each hockey player also received an Adidas duffle bag,  a Wild and U.S. Bank branded water bottle and hat along with a commemorative puck. 

It was all part of the Wild’s yearly effort to spread the Wild game experience beyond the confines of Xcel Energy Center by treating youth teams to many of the team’s traditional NHL game elements. That included Wild In-Arena Announcer Adam Abrams and Wild National Anthem Singer John deCausmeaker taking their talents to Eagan on Tuesday, much to the delight of the packed house on hand for the game.

Minnesota Assistant Coach Darby Hendrickson and Goaltending Coach Bob Mason served as honorary coaches for the game while Wild President Matt Majka appeared with team dog Breezer and Wild Mascot Nordy joined in on the fun as well. Jack Vitek, younger brother of Patric Vitek, the 13-year-old Eagan youth player struck and killed by a car on his way to school on Nov. 1, 2019, made the Let’s Play Hockey! announcement. 

All fans in attendance received a Spotlight Rally Towel and a Chuck-A-Puck was held at the end of the game. Proceeds from the event were split between the Patric Vitek Memorial Fund, and the Eagan and Cottage Grove Youth Hockey Associations.

The post Wild Shines Spotlight On Youth appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Hockey Siblings

In this edition of Hockey Mom Unplugged, Vineeta describes, to no one’s surprise, how hockey is truly a family affair and how if affects the siblings.  Great article, as always!

The post Hockey Mom Unplugged appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Taking on five players that were cut from Eastview’s program, the Lakeville South Bantams have overcome adversity since day one.

This group of young men were put into a very tough situation and have proven hard work, heart and hustle pay off. Earning the title of Champions in Hudson Wisconsin this weekend. The boys lit the lamp 18 times over the three-game tourney and the stingy goalie, Colin Yackel, only allowed two goals in three games.

“Getting the kids to gel into a team and firing on all cylinders has been just great to be a part of,” says Head Coach Scott Wasilowski. The team is made up of former district 8 rivals Eastview and Lakeville South boys.

In the 14 games they have played, the team has scored 123 goals for and only allowed 19!! The powerhouse offense is led by Cullen Ryan, Luke Meyer and Mason Sender. The stingey hard-checking team is spearheaded by the physical play of first year bantams Wyatt Ronn and Luke Wasilowski who average six hits per game, each! The stellar goaltending is a one-man show starring Colin Yackel. Yes, from the legendary hockey family and cousin to Wild goalie Alex Stalock.

The sky’s the limit for this group of boys. The strong work ethic and the ability to overcome some tough challenges of merging the kids from two rival programs into one cohesive unit has been awesome to watch.

— Submitted by Scott Wasilowski

The post A Winning Mix appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.