“Aye, There’s the Rub!”

In the United States, there are at least 3 states where Ice Hockey is really huge: Massachusetts, Michigan and my native state of Minnesota. Almost everybody in this state either played the game, has a friend or family member who has played it, or follows either their local high school team, college team or the professional Minnesota Wild of the NHL. http://wild.nhl.com/

The Wild have been a huge success at the gate. They play at the ExCel Energy Center in St. Paul, one of the nicest arenas in the NHL. It’s a tough ticket to get. In the past few years, I have seen NHL games while on business trips in Buffalo (Sabres-Coyetes) and Columbus (Blue Jakets-Kings), but I have not been able to see the Wild play at the Ex.

I found out that my daughter Rachel has always wanted to see a professional hockey game, so thanks to Andrea, I was able to get tickets for us to go see the Wild play the Calgary Flames tonight.
We will go to Shamrocks, the bar where Andrea works at, to grab dinner before the game, and then we can take a shuttle bus from Shamrocks to the Ex to be able to see the game.

It’s been kind of a tough, up and down year for the Wild, they are a couple of points out of the last playoff position in the Western Conference, and our one star, Marian Gaborik is entering possible free agency, but is out of the year with an injury. http://wild.nhl.com/team/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8468483&service=page Without their main offensive threat, goals have been a tough thing to come by.

Still, it will be fun to see some hockey. I have not been even able to see any high school hockey this winter, and they are starting sectional playoffs pretty soon. That’s the one down side of being busy and starting a new job, I guess. I know I will be beat for work tomorrow because it will be a late night, but it will be a lot of fun.

POST-SCRIPT written Friday, the day after the game:

Rachel and I had just a great time. I think Rachel is hooked on Professonal Ice Hockey now. Unfortunately, the Wild lost in overtime 3-2 to the Calgary Flames. http://www.startribune.com/sports/wild/39881577.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiUBP7hUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

It was a tight game where the Wild were down 1-0, then up 2-1- one of them a really sweet short-handed goal by Dan Fritsche. My daughter Rachel has a new heart throb with the player who scored the Wild’s second goal, Colton Gillies. “He’s HOT!” she remarked. ” I gotta get a jersey with his name on it!” It was a nice atmosphere at the game, and the seats Andrea helped score for us were just great-lower deck, section 126-we had a great view of all but one of the goals scored in the game-including AuCoin’s goal in overtime to win it for the Flames. 

The Wild really miss Gaborik-they just miss an x-factor that can create an individual moment of brilliance.

All in all a fun time was had by all, in spite of the loss.