HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2025

Beavers bask in Hockey Day Minnesota experience at Valleyfair

Jared Rubado — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 22:03:34 GMT

SHAKOPEE – Isa Goettl had only been to Valleyfair once in her life before Saturday.

Despite growing up in Andover near the Twin Cities – about 30 miles from Minnesota’s largest amusement park – Goettl had limited experience at the Shakopee attraction.

“The first time I came here I was in elementary school,” Goettl said. “I came here with my neighbors and I wasn’t tall enough for a ride and I never came back.”

Now 20, Goettl is listed at 5-foot-1. She’s one of the smallest women’s hockey players in the country. It took hockey to bring her back to the confines of thrills.

The Bemidji State and Minnesota women’s hockey teams battled at Valleyfair on Saturday, taking part in the 19th annual Hockey Day Minnesota celebration.

HDM is an event put on each year to celebrate the game that made Minnesota “The State of Hockey.” For the second time in program history, the Beavers broke out their handwarmers and got back to their outdoor-skating roots.

“To be a part of Hockey Day Minnesota, you grow up watching it,” Goettl said. “I was really young when it started. … It’s just a cool experience. Obviously, it’s not the outcome we wanted, but to do this with your closest friends and your teammates is a great experience.”

The third-ranked Gophers defeated the Beavers 3-1.

Minnesota kicked things off just over seven and a half minutes into the first period when Emma Kreisz broke the scoreless tie on a shot from the slot. But Abbey Murphy decided to do it better.

The Gophers’ senior forward picked up the puck in the neutral zone, maneuvered her way through two BSU defenders before beating goaltender Kaitlin Groess with a highlight-reel goal. It was Murphy’s third goal against the Beavers on the weekend and her team-leading 23rd this season.

Gracie Graham made it 3-0 midway though the second period before Morgan Smith notched a 5-on-3 goal in the middle frame. Groess stopped 35 shots.

“I loved it, I thought it was perfect,” Groess, a Ham Lake native, said of the experience. “We had great weather, the ice was good, it’s sunny out. I thought it was perfect.”

During the second period, the sun was in the line of sight of the goaltender on the east end of the rink. Minnesota’s Hannah Clark routinely shaded her face with her glove hand like an outfielder.

“When the sun came out, it was kind of hard to see on the other end,” Groess said. “It was lucky for us because we had two periods without the sun.”

Minnesota outshot BSU 38-10, exemplifying its potent offense in all three frames.

“There were periods of time where we played well and won some battles,” head coach Amber Fryklund said. “There were some times we lost stick battles, puck battles and board battles. You have to be ready for anything and expect the unexpected on a day like today. I’m certainly proud of our (penalty) kill and our power play for scoring a goal.”

Despite dropping another chance to pick up points in the WCHA standings, Saturday’s event was about more than hockey.

Bemidji State started six Minnesotans. Each player wore their high school or club hockey jersey to the venue.

Saturday was a chance for the Beavers to celebrate Minnesota’s pastime.

“It’s playing hockey with my best friends,” Goettl said. “It’s experiencing a great experience to be in Minnesota. What an honor it is to play on Hockey Day Minnesota, especially for me doing it twice. I get to (share) that with my best friends and my teammates and hold onto these forever.”

“It’s getting ready in the locker room, dancing, putting eyeblack on each other,” Groess said. “I think that’s the best part, doing the stuff like that with my teammates.”

Beyond the memories, Saturday was another opportunity for the Beavers to play on a bigger stage. Twenty-four hours after Field Trip Day at Ridder Arena, BSU competed on regional television on FanDuel Sports North, showcasing women’s hockey on a larger-than-typical scale.

“It’s so important,” Groess said. “We’re trying to make a name for ourselves, and that’s what we’re trying to do here. (We’re) keeping games close, but we have to win some of them soon. … You can’t be happy about a loss. We’re going to get back to work on Monday, figure out our systems and do what we can next weekend.”

“You’re going to remember some wins and losses, but you always remember the moments with your friends and your teammates in experiences like this,” Fryklund said. “We had the opportunity this weekend to have two really cool experiences.”

This abstract weekend series against the Gophers came with added connections for Goettl.

Not only did she play close to home, she also played against her former teammates. Goettl, a redshirt freshman, transferred out of Minnesota to Bemidji State.

“It’s hard going against friends, but it’s hockey,” Goettl said. “It’s a competition. We’re competitors on the ice, friends after and friends before. We’re both out there playing our hardest. There are going to be moments where maybe the hits and all of that stuff happen. But at the end of the day, we’re all friends.”

As for a third trip to Valleyfair, Goettl quipped that she’s still unsure if she’s tall enough to ride the rides.

“I haven’t tried,” Goettl said with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll have to go try again.”

No. 3 Minnesota 3, Bemidji State 0

BSU 0 1 0 – 1

UM 2 1 0 – 3

First period – UM GOAL: Kreisz (Conner) 7:16; UM GOAL: Murphy (Graham) 10:46.

Second period – UM GOAL: Graham (Hemp, Lindsay) 5:55; BSU GOAL: Smith (Deering, Armstrong) 8:30.

Third period – No scoring.

Saves – Groess (BSU) 35; Clark (UM) 9.

]]>

Hockey Day Minnesota presents ‘full-circle’ experience for Bemidji State captain

Jared Rubado — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 19:09:57 GMT

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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.”

]]>

Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 features 16 teams facing off at Valleyfair theme park

Jess Myers — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 15:34:27 GMT

SHAKOPEE, Minn. — There will be screams and cheers and laughs aplenty at Valleyfair theme park over four days in January 2025, but they will have nothing to do with rollercoasters and carnival games.

On a sunny Monday morning in July, officials from the Minnesota Wild, Bally Sports North and the local organizing committee for Hockey Day Minnesota crowded a stage inside the popular amusement park to announce the eight games involving 16 teams participating in the 19th annual HDM over the course of four days next winter.

“There’s nothing more important for us than events like this if we’re going to live up to the State of Hockey ideal, which is all true,” Wild CEO Matt Majka said. “It’s good for us, and it drives home the point that we’re dedicated to the continuing health and growth of hockey in Minnesota.”

The Wild will host Calgary at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as the final matchup of Hockey Day Minnesota on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 25. Before that, 16 teams will play on an outdoor rink, which will be set up in the Valleyfair parking lot.

HDM games announced at Monday’s press conference are:

Wednesday, Jan. 22 | Lakeville North vs. Rosemount (girls), Eastview vs. Rosemount (boys) Thursday, Jan. 23 | Orono vs. Northfield (girls), Prior Lake vs. Eden Prairie (girls), Brainerd vs. Shakopee (girls). Friday, Jan. 24 | Delano vs. Orono (boys), Lakeville South vs. Prior Lake (boys). Saturday, Jan. 25 | Eden Prairie vs. Hibbing (boys), Minnesota Gophers vs. Bemidji State Beavers (women), Maple Grove vs. Shakopee (boys).

The college game will be a regularly-scheduled WCHA matchup with conference points on the line, but that’s a lesser concern to the Beavers’ new coach.

“It’s a chance to represent women’s hockey on Hockey Day Minnesota, which is like a national holiday here,” said Amber Fryklund, who took over the BSU program in the spring. “It doesn’t matter what the conditions are, it’s just an opportunity to play against a great opponent on that stage outside. We’re really, really fortunate to be a part of it.”

For Beavers rising senior forward Geno Hendrickson, playing in Shakopee represents a chance to cure some of the intense FOMO she admitted feeling last January when her hometown, Warroad, hosted HDM 2024.

“I’m so excited, especially after missing out last year,” she said. “I didn’t get to go home and see any of it last year, which was a bummer, so when [coach] announced we’d be playing in Shakopee, my jaw just about hit the floor. It’s my last year, and I get to play in Hockey Day Minnesota.”

It will be a second consecutive season with a HDM game for the Lakeville North girls, who beat host Warroad in one of the marquee Saturday games last season. Coach Buck Kochevar said he expects to have 11 new players on his roster this season, so it will still be a new experience for many of the Panthers.

Members of the 13-person local organizing committee have been working on the concept for three years, and event host Kevin Gorg from Bally Sports North said they are always looking for volunteers who want to get involved.

“Three years ago, this was just an idea, and we’re just so proud of our community and all of the great things that we’ve got here,” said local organizer Erik Radtke, who has traveled to three previous events to learn from their efforts. “There hasn’t been a hockey day on such a big piece of property before.”

Bally officials noted that they expect 16-20 hours of live programming on Jan. 25. Bally has won 20 sports Emmy Awards from its previous HDM broadcasts, and Majka pointed out that the Wild are 14-3-1 previously on HDM, which shows the local NHL team is doing its part.

Several of the high schoolers on hand for the announcement spent the next few hours riding the rollercoasters and enjoying the park, getting ready for the cheers and screams to come in six months or so.

]]>

Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 features 16 teams facing off at Valleyfair theme park

Jess Myers — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 23:52:00 GMT

HDM games announced at Monday’s press conference are:

The college game will be a regularly-scheduled WCHA matchup with conference points on the line, but that’s a lesser concern to the Beavers’ new coach.

]]>

Bemidji State to play against Gophers on Hockey Day Minnesota at Valleyfair

Pioneer Staff Report — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 18:43:49 GMT

MINNEAPOLIS — The Bemidji State women's hockey team's 2024-25 schedule will feature an outdoor matchup against Minnesota on the 19th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota (HDM).

The Minnesota Wild, along with Bally Sports North and Minnesota Hockey announced that Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 will take place at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee on Saturday, Jan. 25.

"We are honored to be part of Hockey Day Minnesota 2025," said U of M head coach Brad Frost in a release. "Any time we get to showcase collegiate women's hockey on one of the biggest hockey days of the year is incredible. This will be an amazing experience for our student-athletes. We would like to thank the Minnesota Wild, Bally Sports North and everyone else involved for having us be a part of this special day."

Bally Sports North's broadcast event will feature over 16 hours of original hockey programming beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. Coverage will include the three live outdoor games from Valleyfair Amusement Park, followed by a Minnesota Wild game during primetime. The regional sports network will show highlights from all Hockey Day games taking place throughout the weekend and incorporate coverage of the outdoor festivities taking place at Valleyfair.

"It's our pleasure to announce the date and matchups for Hockey Day Minnesota 2025," said Matthew Underwood, Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 Chair, in a release. "We are thrilled about the matchups and expect competitive hockey being played throughout the weekend here at one of Minnesota's most iconic locations."

Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 will mark the third outdoor game in Minnesota's program history. In the 2014 Hockey City Classic, Minnesota took down Minnesota State in a 4-0 game at Huntington Bank Stadium. Then, on Hockey Day Minnesota 2020, the Gophers notched a 2-1 victory over Ohio State at Parade Stadium in downtown Minneapolis.

Ticket information and additional programming details for HDM 2025 will be announced at a later date.

About Hockey Day Minnesota

Hockey Day Minnesota originated in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild to celebrate the game that has made Minnesota the "State of Hockey." It is produced in partnership with Bally Sports North, Minnesota Hockey and the respective local community that serves as host each year.

Previous locations include Baudette Bay (2007, 2008), Phalen Park (2009), Hermantown (2010), Moorhead (2011), Minnetonka (2012), Grand Rapids (2013), Elk River (2014), Saint Paul (2015), Duluth (2016), Stillwater (2017), St. Cloud (2018), Bemidji (2019), Minneapolis (2020), Guidant John Rose MN Oval (2021), Mankato (2022), White Bear (2023) and Warroad (2024). Hockey Day Minnesota is headed to Hastings in 2026.

]]>