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The State of Hockey’s heart is left heavy after the unexpected loss of a beloved Warroad hockey coach. Michael Tveit, 37, a husband and father of three passed away in his sleep on July 21st. Tveit served as an assistant coach for the Warroad Boys Hockey team alongside longtime friend Jay Hardwick.
“Michael was a terrific person, he loved and cared about everyone,” said Hardwick.
The two Warroad coaches could sit and talk about hockey all day, but the relationship between the two went far beyond the rink.
“He really was a special person and great friend. We would talk hockey a lot but we also loved to talk about hunting and about our families, he always cared about people’s lives,” said Hardwick.
Tveit was not only a rink rat, but he was an outdoorsman, as his obituary reads;
“Michael grew up with a deep appreciation for the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, and valued time at the cabin with his dad, sons, nephews, brothers-in-law, and his beloved dogs Tuuk and Warrior.” He loved hockey and the outdoors but nothing mattered more to Michael than his family. His three sons Carson, Cooper, Cullen, and his wife Darnell. Michael cherished every moment he spent watching Copper do Taekwondo, playing knee hockey with Cullen and watching his step-son Carson Pilgram play hockey for the Warroad boys varsity team.
“His family was everything to him, His world revolved around Darnell and his three boys. Michael was so proud of each one of his boys,” said Hardwick.
Every rink has has someone that every kid and parent loves to interact with, and lightens there day, that’s what Tveit was to the Warroad hockey community.
“Hockey was Michael, he loved everything about it. The Warroad hockey community was everything to Michael, and Michael was everything to the community, everybody that came into contact with him was impacted,” said Hardwick.
Hardwick was not sure what the Warroad hockey team would do to honor Michael quite yet, but he knows it’ll be something special.
“We’ll come up with something that is as special as he was to everyone in Warroad.”
A GoFundMe was started by Michael’s childhood friend and former teammate TJ Oshie of the Washington Capitols. The fundraiser was started to help support Michael’s wife Darnell and their three boys.
“Tveiter as we all call him was also a great mentor to the numerous boys he has coached as a member of the Warroad Boys Highschool Hockey coaching staff. As a teammate in his High School days Tveiter was known as the big teddy bear but also a protector of the team on the ice. A big brother that would stick up for anyone dawning the black and gold. March 8, 2023 marked the 20th Aniversary of when Tveiter and his teammates won the State Championship,” Oshie wrote on GoFundMe
The GoFundMe has currently raised $54,593, which is well over the original goal of $15,000. The fundraiser remains open for donations at gofund.me/inmememoryofmichaeltveit
