The Stillwater Ponies were be broadcasted on television once again. The SAHS boys varsity hockey team participated in the festivities of Hockey Day Minnesota this year. Hockey Day Minnesota was be on Jan. 8 in Elk River. The games were be played at the Handke Stadium (The Pit). Four games were played and broadcasted at Hockey Day Minnesota: High School Games between Rochester Lourdes Eagles vs. Cloquet/Esko/Carlton Lumberjacks at 10:15 a.m, Elk River Elks vs. Stillwater Ponies at 1pm and the girls varsity Elk River Elks vs. Anoka Tornadoes at 4 p.m, and also a Junior A game between Coulee Region and the Minnesota Wilderness at 7 p.m.

The varsity boys hockey team was very fortunate in being chosen to play at such a well known event around the state of Minnesota.

Coach Pete Hamilton said, “To be honest I think they wanted to have Phil Housley versus Gordie Roberts, the coach of Elk River, so they kind of wanted to have that matchup and that’s why we were chosen to play in this game.”

Phil Housley was previously the head coach of the SAHS boys hockey team but chose to resign this season to take an assistant coaching job for the Nashville Predators, a National Hockey League team. Before Housley’s coaching career, he played in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Housley is the second leading scorer for United States born hockey players, labeling him as one of the greats. Gordie Roberts also played in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, St.Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Boston Bruins.

“We didn’t really have to apply or anything. We were just asked to play. I would guess we probably won’t get this opportunity again for a long time. It will be awesome, a really cool environment. It’s just fun to play outside it brings you back to all the fun you’d have playing outside with all of your friends, that’s kind of the atmosphere I see,” said Hamilton.

With coach Housley gone, the team was still excited and eager to play against Elk River. What made this game special compared to other games is that it was played outdoors and was broadcasted on television. This created a whole new level of excitement for the team, but also some adversity.

Senior Mitch Reinke said, “So far we have just been preparing like an everyday game. We are going to practice outside a few times in the coming weeks to the game, but mostly we have been preparing the same we would any other game.”

An outdoor game means snowy ice and extreme cold. An outdoor rink is not as well maintained as the typical indoor hockey arena, therefore each player must prepare for all types of conditions.

Sophomore Jackson Cates said, “Personally I just wanna make sure I am warm to start the game, as the game goes on I can start taking off my gloves or face mask as I heat up.”

Along with the cold weather comes the adverse ice conditions.

“Have fun, play hard. You don’t need to do anything special. If it’s snowing or really cold we just plan on keeping it simple,” said Hamilton.

In 2009, the SAHS girls varsity hockey team got to play at Hockey Day Minnesota after winning the state title in the previous season. Now, the boys team will also get to experience the hype and excitement of Hockey Day Minnesota.

“I’m really excited for the game. We got new jerseys for it and the atmosphere should be pretty cool. Everyone grew up playing outside in Minnesota, so it kind of hits home that way,” said Reinke.

Along with the varsity game at Handke Stadium (The Pit) the Stillwater junior varsity will also be playing Elk River’s junior varsity team at 8 a.m at the indoor rink in Elk River.

This is unique and exciting that the boys’ hockey team gets this experience. They hope to see as many fans and student support at the game to bring in a great atmosphere and to share the experience with their friends and families.