Minnesota is the state of hockey. Oh, you might think it is a saying, but we have kids up and skating by the age three. At some time in their childhood boys and girls here play some form of hockey. Some go down to the rink at the end of their block and play their own made up form of hockey. Tennis balls many times are used rather than pucks. Some parents flood their backyard and the family skates there. Most cities, even the small ones, have indoor skating rinks. With 10,000 lakes you can bet once the ice is hard enough it is shoveled off and off the kids go to skate. Lights are hung on trees so games can be played in the night. Then we have our organized teams, high school teams, and our proud college teams. It is only natural for us to have the Minnesota Wild that skate at the Excel Center in St. Paul.
It is an amazing arena with every seat having a good view of the game. The facilities are grand and everyone who goes to the Excel has a good time. You will see so many families there enjoying the sport of hockey.
Still, the arena is more than hockey. It is one of our best venues for entertainment. Sunday I went with my granddaughter, age 3, and saw the Princesses on Ice. There was something strange about walking into the arena where the jerseys of our best players hang, with hundreds of little girls dressed as princesses. The magic of Disney came alive as the lights went out and Snow White skated into view. It is its own wonder that a community such as St. Paul can combine sports, entertainment, and the beauty of this arena all into one and serve Minneapolis and St. Paul and certainly the entire state with this building of ice.
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