Hockeytown, USA springs to life

The melting of snow piles, the donning of lighter coats, walking instead of sprinting from the office to the car, and the crowds of hockey fans filling Saint Paul’s streets, bars, and restaurants mean one thing – hockey tournament season has arrived! Thousands of people will descend upon the city to cheer for their favorite hockey team in the boy’s high school state tournament, the WCHA Frozen Five, and the NCAA regional hockey championships.

In 2007, Sports Illustrated recognized Saint Paul as Hockeytown, USA. For Saint Paul, hockey is more than just the Minnesota Wild – it’s about the pickup games on the neighborhood pond, the peewee games at the community ice arena, and the high school games at the city rink. Even the Xcel Energy Center – the home of the Wild – displays the hockey jerseys of every high school in Minnesota in the outer concourse.

Hockey is more than just a game. It helps city businesses, bars and restaurants at a time when our economy needs a boost. These tournaments add an estimated $7-10 million a year to the city’s economy. Restaurants will be full, bars will be crowded, and people will be happy.

Welcome to Saint Paul, hockey tournament athletes, coaches, and fans.

See below for more information about the upcoming hockey tournaments:

• Boys state hockey tournament (March 10-13)
• WCHA Frozen Five (March 18-20)
• NCAA Division 1 Men’s Hockey Regional Tournament (March 26-27)
• Remaining home games for the Minnesota Wild