New Years Eve with the Minnesota Wild

The weather wasn't too frightful and we decided to take the boys to the Minnesota Wild Game tonight.

We couldn't think of a better way to spend New Years Eve with our boys.



We were in the third row of the club seats. Here, the boys walked to the first row for a picture after the first 20 minutes. Both boys were fascinated with the comings-and-goings of the game from the minute we walked in. That fascination lasted until mid-third period when fatigue set in (I know, never end a sentence with a preposition - I think it's called a dangling participle).


We have major trouble getting both boys to look at the camera at the same time. Many of our pictures at this stage will only have one looking at the camera.

Here, Derek is explaining the finer points of the power play to Spencer. However, the Wild were only able to score once this evening. Jennifer and I have been to 2 games this season and seen 2 goals by the hometown 6. That's probably because their two best players from year's past are with the New York Rangers.

Now, if we can get Derek to explain the plus-minus, we'll be talking hockey.

Derek and his mother are enjoying a sandwich. The best part of this sandwich - it was the kids' portion. All the food Mom wanted - and since D&S were around, she could purchase it.

Spencer can't take his eyes off the ice to look at the camera. At this point, the Wild were probably passing the puck to the other team.

Hey Derek - should we get down there and start playing? We might give a better effort. And, we might be faster than some of these guys.

The Wild really played terrible tonight. I've been a hockey fan since Steve Larmer and Al Secord played for the Blackhawks. I got to see real good hockey at UW - especially the 91-92 edition of the Badger hockey squad. That team was robbed in the NCAA Frozen Four in Albany. Period. No discussion necessary.

This Wild team might not beat a Junior A Team from Janesville (OK - hyperbole).

The fun part about going to hockey in MSP, versus ATL or HOU, is that people here understand the game and grow up with it. They can see when players slack on a play or don't make the crisp pass. In HOU or ATL, folks went to the game for entertainment. Some transplants knew the game, yet it wasn't a critical mass to bring the "boos." Here, in MSP, when the team is busy with unforced errors and bad play, the crowd gets after them.

And that concludes New Year's Eve. Game was over by 8 p.m. and we were home by 8:45 with two very sleepy boys that travelled on some icy-snowy, sloppy roads.

Jen and I love to go to the X for hockey - except that it's in St. Paul - 45 minutes from Maple Grove. However, the boys may have something to say about that in the coming months and years as they are starting to become hockey rubes.

Or, as they say, "Hockey Ball" and as we left the X tonight, it was, "Goodbye Hockey Ball."