The Minnesota Midshipmen

Five hockey-playing Minnesota natives are challenging themselves on and off the ice at the United States Naval Academy

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St. Cloud State to name arena in honor of Herb Brooks

Details: Last Updated on Thursday, 18 April 2013 16:33

St. Cloud State University officials and a representative of the Herb Brooks family announced that the National Hockey and Event Center is renamed the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.

Renaming the 23-year-old arena honors the late hockey coach’s vision and legacy at St. Cloud State. The university is working with sponsors on commercial naming rights for the arena, as well as naming opportunities within the arena.

This week's cover: April 16, 2013

Details: Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 20:31

Click the image above for a PDF of this week's cover of Let's Play Hockey

As a long journey ends, another begins

Details: Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 19:03

By Kevin Hartzell
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

When Eric Hartzell was a young lad, he would skate and play on our backyard pond with friends and frequently by himself. Eric loved to skate. I thought when he was young that he was already one of the most beautiful skaters I had ever seen. He had a strong and slightly bull-legged skating stride.

His strong and biting skating strides made a distinctive sound on the pond’s surface and oftentimes served as my weekend alarm clock back in White Bear Lake. I would arise to a young boy enjoying what I had enjoyed so much as a child … a frozen pond. It was his favorite place to play and dream.

Study the NHL before prioritizing your offseason training

Details: Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 18:57

By Jack Blatherwick
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

Strength-conditioning gurus must not have seen a Chicago Blackhawks game in person or noticed the dramatic difference in the Minnesota Wild from last year to this. It is not simply a matter of muscle mass. The reasons the Wild are a legitimate playoff contender now and the Blackhawks are the best team in the NHL are obvious: speed, agility, skill and puck protection.

From college to the NHL

Details: Last Updated on Monday, 13 May 2013 14:49

By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor

If you’ve watched nearly any NCAA sporting event on television in the past several years, you’ve seen the ad. You may even be able to recite the tagline: “There are 380,000 NCAA student-athletes, and just about all of them will be going pro in something other than sports.”

It’s a noble campaign directed at educating the masses that most athletes in college will see their athletic careers come to an end at graduation.

In the world of NCAA hockey, the vast majority of players on the 59 Division I and 78 Division II/III men’s teams will not make the jump to the NHL, AHL, ECHL or any other of the various professional hockey leagues around the world. But for a select few, college hockey is merely a steppingstone to the bright lights of the National Hockey League.

SCSU’s Drew LeBlanc wins Hobey Baker Award

Details: Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 April 2013 18:39

Drew LeBlanc from St. Cloud State University was named the winner of the 2013 Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s top player. The announcement came during the NCAA Frozen Four championship in a live ceremony held at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., and aired live on NHL Network.

Becoming the first Hobey Baker Award recipient from St. Cloud State, Drew LeBlanc was a key cog in the Huskies’ first ever appearance in the Frozen Four. St. Cloud State came up short in losing 4-1 to Quinnipiac in the national semifinal game.