On January 23, the Iowa Wild will host the Milwaukee Admirals in the 13th outdoor game in American Hockey League history at the United Heroes League complex in Hastings, Minnesota, as part of Hockey Day Minnesota 2026.
Several members of the Wild roster were born in the Hockey State, while others grew up on frozen ponds in Michigan and across Canada. The game will have special meaning for these players, and with just over a month until the event, some of them took time to reminisce on outdoor memories.
MATT KIERSTED – Elk River, Minnesota.
When did you start skating and playing hockey?
I started skating when I was 2 years old. My older brother played, so my younger brother and I followed in his footsteps. My parents were not hockey players, but my father was persuaded to let my older brother play. Once he was in, we all followed from there.
What is your experience with outdoor games?
I played a few outdoor games. I played there in Charlotte a few years ago. In high school we played Hockey Day Minnesota in Elk River.
Did you play outside after school as a child?
We would be dropped off at Hanky Pit in Elk River. They have a few outdoor courts and a warming house and we could play for hours. They turned on the lights at night when it got dark so we could stay outside longer.
How did you stay warm?
Layers, lots of layers. There was a fire pit in the boiler house, so you could take a break there to get the feeling back into your fingers. But yes, many layers, a few sweatshirts at a time.
Many young hockey players in Minnesota aspire to play professionally. How are you? growing up and playing in that environment?
My dream growing up was to play college hockey. Once I got there I just wanted to enjoy it and have fun with it, and it led to me now playing professionally. I grew up in a smaller town playing hockey with my friends and growing up along the way. I met new friends and new people and had fun the whole time.
What are you looking forward to from this game?
When I go back to Minnesota, a lot of my family will be there. A lot of people who haven’t seen me play in person in a long time can make the short drive. It’s not that common to play an outdoor game and this will be my third one, so I’m lucky with that.
What was your Hockey Day Minnesota experience like in high school?
It was super cool. It was my sophomore year, my first year on the varsity team, and it was in our hometown. It was surreal to see all the support and all the people coming out and enjoying it. There were games all day long.
Did you ever think you’d be playing Minnesota on another Hockey Day? again for the Wild organization?
Growing up you watch the Wild and want to play there, but I never thought I’d be in this position. It’s kind of hard to wrap your head around it, but super cool. I’m looking forward to it.
RYAN SANDELIN – Hermantown, Minnesota.
When did you start playing hockey?
I started playing when I was three years old. My dad is a coach, so he rushed me there as quickly as he could, and we never looked back.
Did you play outside growing up?
From the age of eight until high school, I played outside every day. Our parents dropped off our bags at the outdoor track and left us $10. After school we walked across the street, put on our stuff and did our homework in the warming hut. We went home at nine o’clock and immediately passed out. That was the routine, five or six days a week, every day with your best friends.
How competitive was the youth hockey scene in Minnesota?
I think everyone dreams of graduating from high school and going to college in Minnesota. The competition, whether it was AAA in the summer or just playing for the community growing up, was very fierce and made everyone better. That’s why there are a lot of professional hockey players from Minnesota. The hockey culture in Minnesota is so strong because there are so many kids who want to move on and go to college or professionally one day.
As a Minnesotan, what are you looking forward to on Hockey Day in Minnesota?
Being able to share it with my teammates and my family. I was lucky enough to play in it my freshman year in college. Being able to share that with my family was one of the most special days of my college career. Playing in Hastings in January with my family, friends and teammates will be special. It takes you back to the roots of why you started playing hockey and why you love the game.
As a kid I got to help start Hockey Day Minnesota, and at the time you thought that was pretty cool. In college you find out that you can actually play like the big game. Now I feel very lucky and lucky to be in the right place at the right time three times because I know it’s such a big day for the entire state. I’m lucky to have been a part of it three times, let alone once, especially in my professional career.
BRADLEY MAREK – Big Rapids, Mich.
When did you start playing hockey?
I started playing hockey when I was three. I think a lot of us started around the same age. Whether it was parents, family or friends, someone put us on the ice and after that we didn’t look back on much.
What experiences do you have with playing outside?
I was lucky enough to play outside at Comerica Park in Detroit when I was twelve or thirteen. We were also lucky enough to have a pond in our backyard that we turned into a hockey rink every winter. It was a wonderful experience to spend hours there with family and friends. My dad was a firefighter, so he brought the fire hose and we were able to get the ice back up.
What time would you stay on the pond?
Oh man, we had lights on the pond so we would be out there for hours when we didn’t have school.
How did you stay warm?
That’s a good question. Bundle together. You’re skating so much, so most of the time you’re sweating and taking off your gear. If you get cold, you put a sweatshirt back on, but if you play goalie, you might get warm very quickly and take off the layers.
Minnesota and Michigan are competitive hockey hotbeds. What was it like playing in that environment?
From a young age, people move at the age of 12 or 13 to live with different families. It’s definitely a very competitive environment until 16 or 17, when kids move out and juniors start playing.
Does Michigan have anything like Hockey Day Minnesota?
No, not really. I think that’s why I’m so excited to be a part of this and be with this organization. It’s a blessing to be able to participate in something like this.
WYATT NEWPOWER – Hugo, Minnesota.
When did you start skating?
My father had an ice skating rink in the backyard where I grew up. I have four siblings, three of whom also played. My father and uncles played hockey, so hockey definitely ran in the family. We learned to skate in the backyard and my grandparents lived on a lake, so we skated there too.
How many times have you played outdoor games?
Besides the ponds and lakes, there were outdoor courts everywhere, so you always met friends there. My first outdoor hockey game was in high school. I played for White Bear Lake and we played at the University of Minnesota football stadium. In college I went to the University of Connecticut and we played at Fenway Park in Boston.
What time would you stay on the lake?
If you were lucky enough to have light, you would go as long as you were allowed until you were called to come in. But otherwise, when there was no light, you played until you couldn’t see anymore.
How would you stay warm?
Usually not. Things just get numb after a while. Otherwise you’ll just have to keep moving, maybe wear a few pairs of socks and a pair of thin mittens or gloves under your hockey gloves. I don’t know if anyone is familiar with helicopters. It almost looks like a leather mitten. I’ve spent a lot of time outside of Minnesota, and not many people know about it. So maybe it’s a Minnesota thing, but we would carry helicopters.
With so many kids wanting to play professional hockey, what’s competitive? environment like?
I’ve spent so much time outside of Minnesota since I went to college, and no one really understands that I only played for one organization my entire life until I went to college. I played for the White Bear Lake Area Hockey Association my entire life from the time I learned to play hockey until I graduated high school with the same age group of kids. That’s very rare, and that’s what makes it so special in Minnesota: the amount of pride you have in your city. I can easily say this is the most competitive place to grow up playing hockey because that’s where I’m from, but I think you can look at a lot of statistics for how many Minnesota players are represented in college and professional hockey. It speaks for itself.
What part of Hockey Day Minnesota are you most looking forward to?
I never got to be a part of Hockey Day Minnesota when I was in high school. It was still quite new, but my team was never picked to play. To be able to play in it now, even though I’m not in high school, is still a childhood dreamlike situation. I’m also looking forward to playing my first competitive hockey game in Minnesota since 2016, my senior year of high school. It’s close to my family, and it will be a lot of fun for them to come and see it.
How does it feel to play for the Minnesota Wild organization as someone from the State of Hockey?
I don’t know if I ever thought I would ever wear the Wild logo. Since I signed in the summer, it has been quite surreal to be part of the organization. I grew up a fan and my favorite players played for the Wild. It’s definitely a childhood dream to be able to wear the logo in general, and then to be able to play outside in Minnesota with the logo on it is definitely something I never thought would happen. It’s hard to describe it. I know it means a lot to my parents because of what they did for me growing up. When we can play outside again while wearing the logo we have loved all these years, it will be a special day for everyone.
JACK PEART – Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
When did you start playing hockey?
I was three. My dad was a high school coach in Grand Rapids, so I grew up with him at the rink. Both of my older sisters participated in the game when I was young, so I got to skate with them when I was young.
What experiences do you have with playing outside?
I’ve only played one real hockey game outside. In 2013, Hockey Day Minnesota came to Grand Rapids. I think I was a squirter. We got to play outside and it was so cool, so much fun. In Grand Rapids there are a lot of outdoor courts where you can just play with your friends, so I’ve done quite a bit of that.
Did you play a lot of pond hockey in your youth?
For the most part I played on outdoor courts. One of my best friends had his own rink in the backyard that we used to skate on.
How would you stay warm?
You need to go to the warming hut. You take breaks, stay out as long as you think you can, until you can’t really feel your toes anymore, and then warm them up.
How will playing a professional outdoor game be different?
There will be more fans than there used to be, which will be pretty cool.
Did you ever think you’d be playing for the Minnesota Wild on Hockey Day Minnesota?
After I left high school, I didn’t really think much about Hockey Day Minnesota. You don’t think you’ll get the chance to play in it again. It will be great to put on an Iowa Wild jersey and go out and compete.
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