It’s that time of year for every hockey-playing Minnesotan’s favorite holiday, Hockey Day Minnesota, and this year, it’s in the hockey hotbed of Warroad, Minnesota, on Saturday, Jan. 27. A town located so far north it’s almost in Canada and is just six miles away from the border but about a six-hour drive from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
Warroad is rich in hockey history, dating back to the Christian brothers, Roger and Bill, who made hockey sticks. Christian Brothers’ hockey sticks started in Warroad, where the brothers grew up in the 1940s and ’50s. Warroad is also the inspiration behind the WARROAD Hockey Company, owned by NHL player T.J. Oshie; they specialize in hockey apparel with an NHL perspective.
With its hockey history, it’s surprising it took until the 18th year for Warroad to host the event. Just like Minnesota deserved a Winter Classic, Warroad deserves Hockey Day. Hockey will be played outdoors all day long, and it’s televised as a celebration of hockey’s original outdoor roots.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how many players in the NHL and now the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) have participated in Hockey Day, but first, we’ll look at Warroad natives and the layout of the day.
Warroad’s Pro History
Everyone familiar with the NHL knows who Oshie is; while he wasn’t born in Warroad, he did grow up there and won two state high school hockey tournaments. Brock Nelson is another current NHL player who called Warroad home, as well as former players Henry Boucha, the Christian brothers, and Dave Christian, Bill’s son.
The Christian family is known for its Warroad roots, but so are the Marvins, specifically Gigi Marvin. She’s an Olympian and a professional women’s hockey player currently playing for PWHL Boston. She, like Oshie, wasn’t born in Warroad but was raised there and has made it famous.
We’ve covered who’s famous from Warroad, but we haven’t covered the day’s schedule, which is all in Central time and televised on Bally Sports. The first game is Warroad against Lakeville North for the girls’ high school game, and then there are back-to-back high school boys’ games.
The first game is between Moorhead and Wayzata at 1 pm, and then the powerhouses of Warroad and Roseau clash at 4:30 pm. For those not familiar with Minnesota hockey, Warroad and Roseau have been rivals for decades, and that matchup is always a fun one. There will also be two women’s games aired on Bally Sports +; Ohio State will take on St. Cloud State in college hockey at 1 pm, and PWHL Minnesota will face PWHL Boston at 3 pm. The final game will be the Minnesota Wild against the Anaheim Ducks.
NHL Hockey Day History
Over the past 18 years, many NHL players have hit the ice on Hockey Day in Minnesota. Many may not understand the significance, but just like the state hockey tourney, hockey in Minnesota is part of the culture, and everything has to be done right. Most NHL players from Minnesota grew up playing outside on their local pond or lake, and that’s where Hockey Day started. The idea of returning players to their youth days and being treated like celebrities for a day has become a well-loved tradition and holiday.
Related: Why Minnesota Is Truly the State of Hockey
Players like Kyle Rau, Vinni Lettieri, Nick Perbix, Ryan Poehling, Noah Cates, Casey Mittelstadt, and many others have been able to go back to their roots and play on past Hockey Days. Many more NHL players have played on Hockey Day as part of alumni teams, so they may not have played during their high school or college days but were invited back to join the festivities.
PWHL Players Join the Fun
Girls hockey has long been a part of Hockey Day over the years, but now, with the PWHL in full swing, they’ll get a chance to take part just like the Wild. Little girls that watch Hockey Day can envision themselves with their high school, college, and now pro team playing on the hockey holiday and eventually become alumni as well. Players like Brittyn Fleming, Taylor Heise, Grace Zumwinkle, Abigail Boreen, and Liz Schepers have all played on Hockey Day in the past, whether with their high school or college teams.
Not only is this Hockey Day special for the city it’s in, but it’s also the first year with the PWHL. As the PWHL gains ground and eventually expands to more areas, there will be more players to add to the former Hockey Day players list in future seasons. Hopefully, it’s just the first of many, and hockey continues to expand in every area it can.
Hockey Day 2025
They’ve already named the location of Hockey Day 2025; again, most Minnesotans know it well. Shakopee, Minnesota, specifically Valleyfair, will be the next host. I’ve been to Vallyfair a number of times over the years, and I’m interested in seeing how they’ll host Hockey Day. Regardless, every Hockey Day has been more exciting than the last, but they’ll have a lot of work ahead of them to outdo Warroad, Minnesota.