An Amazing Night Of Hockey

I spent my Friday evening in a rink once again, but this game was a little different in that we had the radio gear out, we were broadcasting a game, and we were having a blast! As you may have heard on The Hockey Show over the last few weeks, Jason and I were looking forward to this weekend's set of games featuring Team Manitoba parahockey and the Minnesota Wild sled hockey team in a series being called the Cross Border Classic! Tonight saw Game One of the three-game set kick off the weekend, and we were treated to an incredible display of skill, speed, and talent from both squads as the Wild and Team Manitoba hit the ice! Would we see a Manitoba win?

I'll be honest in saying that, win or lose, seeing sledge hockey getting more attention in this province is vital for the sport's growth, and UMFM through The Hockey Show is proud to be part of this. Jason and I are happy to volunteer our time to give these incredible athletes a brighter future that includes better funding and sponsorships and more opportunities to play, so expect us to continue to work with and partner with Sledge Hockey Manitoba whenever we can.

I was at the rink early today to get things setup, and there already was electicity in the air as a handful of Team Manitoba players were already there to get the raffle table setup alongside the coaches and volunteers. Team Manitoba head coach McKenna Wild said that her team was dealing with nerves as they felt pressure to play well with the added media coverage. We agreed that the pressure they felt was a privilege as the players had a chance to show off the skills and talents they had acquired through practice and hard work.

I had the privilege of chatting with photographer Dan of Ice Wave Media, who captured the image above, as he arrived soon after I began setting up the radio broad cast, and he was just as excited as I was to see how Team Manitoba would fare against the Minnesota Wild. Dan's an outstanding photographer and I'm glad he was there to capture the action from tonight's game. Ice Wave Media will be at all three games to take photos, so make sure you follow them!

It wasn't long before the players took the ice, and it was clear that both sides were fired up based on the pace seen during warmups. Shots had extra zip on them, the players were flying around the ice, and the goalies stood tall. It appeared that we were going to be in for one heckuva game as the teams sent players out for the face-off!

I'm not here to recap the whole game, but let's just say that Minnesota Wild goaltender Ben Schmitz should probably playing in Hockey USA's camps if he'snot already on their list. Manitoba had the ice tilted for most of the first period, but Schmitz came up big on all but one shot as Manitoba peppered him throughout the period. Elijah Armbruster was the only player to beat him as Manitoba took a 1-0 lead into the break despite outshooting the Wild by an 8-1 count.

If there were any nerves from a young Minnesota Wild team, they seemed to shake those off when the second period began. Both sides had chances as plays developed, passes were made, and shooting lanes were found, and it was clear that we had a game on our hands. Manitoba built on their lead to go up 3-0 before Minnesota responded with two quick goals to make it 3-2. Manitoba would add another goal in the dying second of the frame to make it a 4-2 contest, but it was clear both teams ratcheted up intensity in the second period!

The third period saw Manitoba lock down the defensive zone while getting outstanding goaltending from Paul Hamm, and they would add three more goals in the final frame to win Game One by a 7-2 score. Don't let the score fool you in that Minnesota had great opportunities throughout the game, but Hamm made a number of key saves while the Manitoba defence cleared pucks from danger quickly. Hamm seemed to have Zayden Inselman's number all evening as he stopped Inselman on a number of good chances, giving Manitoba the goaltending they needed to be successful as they took Game One!

Players of the game were Minnesota netminder Ben Schmitz and Manitoba forward Cohen Klassen, and seeing the two teams hang out on the ice and chat while showing the friendships they forged was awesome. Manitoba's Isaac Zint, at one point, was chatting with three Wild players, and there were lots of smiles shared among the two teams despite the furious competitiveness they showed.

Even more encouraging was the fact that Team Manitoba featured two women in Alyssa White and Petyon Vergie, but the Minnesota Wild featured two women as well! Adaylia Borgmeier and Kaia Bollmeier were solid in their efforts tonight, and it seems like the women's side of the game is gaining momemtum with these four women suiting up tonight. We know that both White and Vergie are already part of Canada's national women's team, but perhaps Borgmeier and Bollmeier are the next wave for the American team?

If you missed tonight's action, Game Two will be played at 5:15pm tomorrow at the Hockey For All Centre while Game Three goes at 9:15am on Sunday morning. If you can't make it down and you want to hear the action, you can catch Jason and I calling the games on the UMFM Second Stream all weekend long. We'll be on the air for the remaining two games after calling tonight's action, so set your watches and alarms to tune in for that fun! We do encourage you to get down to the rink for the games, though, as admission is free and there are all sorts of raffle prizes being offered to help raise funds for Team Manitoba and Sledge Hockey Manitoba this weekend!

If you're not busy, you know where you should be. Even if you are busy, your internet-connected devices can stream the action via the UMFM stream. Don't miss out on the best parahockey offered in this province because, as we saw tonight, it was an amazing game between two very talented teams who deserve more attention!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!