You know you’re a real Minnesota Hockey player or fan when . . .
1. You treat The Boy’s State Hockey Tournament as a holiday.
2. Almost every weekend in the winter includes outdoor hockey.
3. You have four different college teams to cheer for during the North Star College Cup and know the rosters for each one.
In this tournament at the Xcel Energy Center, the University of Minnesota, Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, and the University of Minnesota Duluth battle for in-state bragging rights.
4. You can recite every word of the Minnesota Wild Theme Song - The State of Hockey Anthem.
5. You feel proud to be able to represent the North Stars.
6. Hockey Day Minnesota is the most anticipated holiday of the year.
7. You have Miracle and the Mighty Ducks movies in regular rotation. You can also recite Herb Brooks' speech word for word.
8. You look forward to seeing the reveal of the Boys State High School Hockey Hair Team.
9. You enjoy playing hockey on “The Pond.”
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Only a true Minnesota hockey player can understand the euphoric sounds of echoing blades as they carve into one of God’s greatest gifts – The Pond.
10. You’d rather it be 5 degrees outside than 30, just to keep the outdoor ice in good shape.
11. You know how to pronounce the cities Bemidji, Warroad, Wayzata, Edina, Shakopee, Mahtomedi, and Waseca.
You also can name many of the big-name players that came from each association.
12. Your March Madness is on the ice instead of the court.
13. The Hockey Expo during the State Tournament has everything that you could ever want.
14. You have either played in, attended, or watched the "U.S. Pond Hockey Championships."
"Hockey in the way nature intended. Outdoors in the crisp winter air, skate blades gliding on the fresh ice below, with the sounds of clacking sticks."
15. You know that they are called breezers… NOT, “hockey pants.”
16. You know what it's like arriving at practice and games an extra 15 minutes early to let your equipment thaw.
17. Your dad coaches you, whose dad coached him, whose dad coached him…it’s in the blood. Seriously.
18. You did everything that you could to be at the outdoor NHL Stadium Series Game between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks in the winter of 2016.
19. You don't have time to get your house decorated for the holidays because you are always at a tournament and almost all of your decorations are hockey related.
20. Breaking a stick in a game is a badge of honor, but really sucks for your check book.
21. Getting rid of that "hockey smell" (which you don't even notice anymore) is impossible no matter hard you try.
22. As a hockey fan, your tailbone has stopped feeling pain and discomfort years ago, even though the bleacher seats are just as hard as they ever were.
23. You have basically traveled across the whole state of Minnesota for those away hockey tournaments.
24. You are at the rink more than you are at your own house.
