BEMIDJI – Alyssa Watkins isn't fond of rollercoasters.
So when the Bemidji State women’s hockey senior captain was asked to represent the Beavers at Valleyfair in Shakopee – the site of the 2025 Hockey Day Minnesota celebration – Watkins put on a brave face.
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“I’m not a big rollercoaster person,” Watkins said with a laugh. “I wasn’t too happy to be on those rides, but I did it.”
Watkins was joined by fellow senior captain Geno Hendrickson and head coach Amber Fryklund. They were invited to Minnesota’s largest amusement park six months ahead of 2025’s Hockey Day Minnesota to showcase each team competing at each level.
Bemidji State will take on Minnesota at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, marking the first time a BSU team has taken part since Bemidji hosted the event in 2019.
“It’s a conference weekend, so playing in Hockey Day Minnesota outside is also worth three points,” Fryklund said. “Certainly, we’re really grateful to participate in that opportunity. In Minnesota, it’s like a holiday. It’s an opportunity to showcase our league and women’s hockey. We’re excited for that and grateful for that opportunity.”
Hockey Day Minnesota is an event put on each year to celebrate the game that made Minnesota “The State of Hockey.” It was started in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild alongside partners like FanDuel Sports Network, Minnesota Hockey and the local communities that serve as the host each year.
For Watkins, it’s not the first time she’s laced her skates on Hockey Day.
In 2016, she unofficially played when Duluth hosted the event. However, Watkins was unfamiliar with the magnitude after moving from Colorado earlier that year.
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“We didn’t really know what it was about,” she said. “It’s kind of a full-circle moment getting to play in it again my final year. It’s a really special way to end the career because (Hockey Day Minnesota) was one of the first things I learned about when I moved here.”
Watkins isn’t the only Beaver with HDM experience. Fryklund coached in the frigid outing in when Bemidji hosted
“It was very cold that day,” Fryklund quipped. “From my understanding – looking at the weather – it’s not going to be that cold this year. You just have to take advantage of the moment you’re in and the opportunity you get. It’s not going to be perfect conditions out there.”
Redshirt freshman forward Isa Goettl took part in 2022 with the Andover High girls hockey team.
“They’re really excited about this,” Fryklund said. “For all of our players, the Minnesota players especially, they understand that it’s like a holiday. All of our players not from Minnesota understand that and are excited for that as well.”
On Saturday, the Beavers will play against the third-ranked Gophers for the fifth time this season. BSU hosted the U of M in November, then played Minnesota on New Year’s Day in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Face-Off Classic at Lakeville Hasse Arena.
On Friday, the Gophers will host the Beavers at noon in front of a packed crowd on the U of M’s Field Trip Day.
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“Friday’s game, first and foremost, is our focus,” Fryklund said. “Friday’s game is also a special game. The game’s sold out. It’s an opportunity to play in Ridder – one of the premier rinks in women’s hockey. It also be a great opportunity for our team and our program. Our focus this week is on Friday’s game. After that, we’ll start getting excited for Hockey Day.”
BSU players and coaches found out they were playing on HDM on a team Zoom session in the late spring 2024.
“For a lot of us, four out of the five seniors are from Minnesota,” Watkins said. “A lot of us are excited, and so are the younger girls who grew up in Minnesota. We get to show the girls who haven’t grown up in Minnesota what it’s all about.”
With Bemidji State taking center stage, it’s an opportunity for them to do their part in expanding the women’s hockey reach regionally.
“It’s huge for women’s hockey and it’s huge for our league,” Fryklund said. “It’s huge for our school and our program. Those opportunities that we have to showcase our sport, our team, our league, women’s hockey just continues to grow across all platforms. You see in the PWHL attendance numbers, you see the viewership. Any opportunity we have to showcase women’s hockey on TV is awesome for the sport and awesome for us as a program.”
The Beavers opted not to practice outside ahead of Saturday’s game, citing scheduling hiccups and sub-freezing temperatures locally this week.
Instead, BSU will tap into its hockey roots and lean on the childhood elements of playing outdoors.
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“You just have to stay in the moment,” Fryklund said. “Both teams play under the same conditions. You just have to treat it like another game. But enjoy the moment, stay in the moment and control the things you can control. We can’t control the weather or the ice conditions. But those are all things our opponent can’t control either.”
For Watkins, her second calendar-year trip to Valleyfair will come with less trepidation. There’s no time for rides anymore, just layers and hockey.
“The first couple of minutes you’re out there, it’s pretty tough,” Watkins said of the cold. “You try and go out there with all of the thermals, the neck gaiters and all of that. But once the game starts, you’re in the game and the cold is the last thing you’re thinking about.”
