Kevin Kurtt
150 Reasons to Love Hockey
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:31
With the season just getting started, it’s time for a reminder on all the reasons we have such a love affair with hockey
The first version of this column appeared in the Oct. 4, 2007, edition of Let’s Play Hockey.
By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor
Here in Minnesota, hockey is strongly woven into our fabric of life. Our state high school tournament regularly sells out. College hockey gets higher television ratings than some college or pro basketball broadcasts. The Minnesota Wild rode an epic 409-game sellout streak. Indoor and outdoor rinks dot the landscape of the North Star State. Learning to skate, shoot and stickhandle is a rite of passage for countless Minnesota kids every winter. The Let’s Play Hockey Expo in St. Paul during the state tournament is the largest consumer hockey show in the world (shameless plug).
But why does this sport have such a stranglehold in Minnesota? I don’t have a clue, but I do know what has drawn me to the sport of blue lines, power plays, saucer passes and Zambonis.
The college hockey shuffle
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:31
The last 11 months have seen seismic shifts in the NCAA Division I hockey landscape. What do all the changes mean for the future of the sport?
By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor
The college hockey landscape shifted on Sept. 17, 2010. That day, PennStateUniversity announced an $88 million gift from Terry and Kim Pegula to add hockey as a Division I varsity sport. The college hockey world was forever changed - not immediately, of course, but the addition of the Nittany Lions to college hockey sparked a chain of events in the past 11 months that has altered the look and the future of the sport.
The college hockey landscape shifted again on March 21, 2011. That day, the Big Ten announced the establishment of hockey as an official conference sport. Once PennState announced the creation of the newest puck program, the Big Ten now had the required six teams to create a college hockey conference. So, in 2013-14, PennState will join fellow hockey-playing schools in the Big Ten.
Feeling a Draft: Minnesotans in the NHL Draft
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- Last Updated on Wednesday, 11 July 2012 20:05
The 2011 NHL Entry Draft descends on St. Paul’s XcelEnergyCenter on June 24-25 with a rich history of Minnesotans playing prominent roles in one of the NHL’s signature events.
By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor
When the Los Angeles Kings moved up to select U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman and Duluth native Derek Forbort with the 15th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, a recent tradition of Minnesotans getting drafted in the first round continued.
Likewise, when the San Jose Sharks picked Woodbury native Max Gaede with the 88th overall selection in the draft, a streak of double-digit Minnesotans taken in the NHL Draft hit eight years.
In all, 18 Minnesotans, including first round picks Forbort, Nick Bjugstad (Blaine, Minn./Florida Panthers) and Brock Nelson (Warroad, Minn./N.Y. Islanders), were selected in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
A Homegrown Draft
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:31
A total of 15 Minnesotans were selected at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at St. Paul’s XcelEnergyCenter, continuing the state’s proud tradition of developing NHL-caliber players.
By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor
When the Anaheim Ducks selected Swedish right wing Rickard Rakell with final pick of the first round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft on June 24, a notable streak was snapped. For nine straight years (2002-10), a Minnesota native was drafted in the first round.
But when the NHL Entry Draft returned to the State of Hockey for the first time since 1989, no Minnesotans were picked in the first round. Thirty names were called at St. Paul’s XcelEnergyCenter. None from Minnesota.
However, when the hometown Minnesota Wild traded their third and fourth round picks to Vancouver for the 60th overall pick to draft WayzataHigh School left wing Mario Lucia, another streak continued. For the 43rd consecutive year, a Minnesotan heard his name called at the NHL Draft.
Living out a Fantasy
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- Last Updated on Thursday, 12 July 2012 17:31
The Minnesota Wild Fantasy Camp gives fans the chance to live the dream of being NHL players for a day. LPH editor Kevin Kurtt was among the lucky campers.
By Kevin Kurtt
Let’s Play Hockey Editor
The last time I played an actual hockey game in full pads was in February 1994 as a member of one of Edina’s Junior Gold B teams.
The last time I was in full hockey pads was March 20, 1999 when the University of Minnesota took on ColoradoCollege at the WCHA Final Five at the TargetCenter. No, I wasn’t a Tiger or a Gopher. I was the Gopher ... Goldy Gopher.
Since then, my hockey equipment has sat in my garage. It should come as no surprise then that the elastic on several pieces of my equipment was less than, well, elastic.
It should also come as no surprise that I was a tad nervous when the Minnesota Wild extended me an offer to take part in their 2011 Fantasy Camp.
