My pilgrimage to the Twin Cities
How I got Wild with the Red Wings
One day, I want to visit all 32 NHL arenas.
Before this trip, I’d been to 12: Detroit, Columbus, Carolina, New Jersey, Buffalo, Dallas, Seattle, Las Vegas, Calgary, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. In 2026, I’m hoping to hit at least three more before the end of the year. First on my list is Minnesota, home to the Wild. This trip’s a little different from the ones I’ve taken in the past, though: I’ve got an #insiderrr here.
Meet Joey, Video Producer for the Minnesota Wild! Joey’s been a friend of mine since the very early days of Old 313 Hockey. She’s an unbelievably talented producer who put together an amazing itinerary for my visit. This is, of course, a strange time to visit, given current events, but it was a journey I was intent on making as a sign of solidarity.
So what did I uncover on my pilgrimage? What secrets did I learn about working for an NHL org? Let me tell you all about it:
What I tried in Minneapolis
Our first stop after the airport was Matt’s Bar. Matt’s is famous for the “Juicy Lucy”, a burger with cheese on the inside. (Incredible). It was the perfect way to welcome me into the state of Minnesota: a dish as a warm as the people that inhabit the cities. Couple that bad boy with the largest order of fries I’ve ever seen and you’ve got yourself one heck of a welcome into the Twin Cities.
The people of Minnesota are some of the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. I took a trip to the Minnesota Historical Museum and one of the volunteers struck up a 15 minute conversation with me after seeing my Zetterberg jersey.
The people of the Twin Cities are passionate. But it isn’t just that they love hockey: they’re certified Puck Knowers. They can sing praises about a fourth line forward just as much as they can analyze the first stride of a top line center. This doesn’t just apply to people at the game, either: at one point, a stranger at a restaurant approached me to ask how I thought Andrew Copp was doing this season.
Andrew Copp!
Where to go before the game
If you decide to make a trip out to the Twin Cities, boy do I have some ideas for you. The Grand Casino Arena (home of the Wild) is in St. Paul, but it’s close enough to Minneapolis that you can make your journey across either city. I cannot stress how cold Minneapolis and St. Paul can get. This was the weather the day I went to the game:
Layering up is essential. My mustache froze to my face after just a 5 minute walk! When I stopped by Cosetta’s in St. Paul for lunch (highly recommend if you like Italian food), a bartender spent the whole time talking to me about what she loves about the city. Just a block away lay Tom Reid’s, a legendary hockey bar full of jerseys, pull tabs, memorabilia, and, of course, cheap drinks.
Here’s where I’d recommend you go before the game:
Cossetta’s: Italian marketplace, plenty of dining options and drinks!
Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub: The most hockey-related memorabilia I’ve ever seen in one location apart from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Tom himself is often in attendance and he’s such a nice guy!
Waldmann: If you like German food, you’re sure to get your money’s worth here. Cannot recommend the wurst enough.
Bad Weather Brewing Co.: Plenty of board games and drinks and a free shuttle to the game so you can skip out on that pesky weather!
Life working for an NHL team
Life as an NHL producer is a lot of work. During my trip out to Minnesota, Joey worked most of the time in order to get a handful of videos in at a tight schedule. If you take the trip out to see the Wild this season, you’ll see her handiwork between periods and during hype and welcome back videos. While I was visiting, she spent a few hours working on an Eric Staal (yes, that Eric Staal) welcome back video. Here’s one she made for Filip Gustavsson’s extension!
I had the chance to talk to a few other members of the staff as well to learn just what it was like to work for an NHL team. They all agreed that, while it can sometimes be a lot of work, the final result makes it all worthwhile. One thing I noticed on my trip is that they have to be ready at all times for breaking news. After all, you never know when your team is going to, say, trade for a top-two defenseman in the NHL.
What was the game like?
The Grand Casino Arena (formerly known as the Xcel Energy Center) is, for lack of a better term, wild. The concourse designers used a lot of beige to accent the Wild’s green and red color scheme, giving it almost a cozy feel. I use the word “cozy” because the concourse itself is a little tightly-packed. If you’re used to the spread out setting of the LCA, you’re going to be a little disappointed trying to get around the GCA.
Joey got us killer seats thanks to her gig. We sat behind the Wild’s side of the stadium and I snapped a quick pic of the crowd:
Pictures do not do it justice. The environment was electric. I could barely hear my own thoughts over the roar of the crowd. It was a Thursday night in a game between two teams that meet twice a year and it felt like a playoff game. The game itself was intense, with the Wild, sadly, coming up ahead in overtime. But, during that time, I never once felt unwelcome or unhappy to be among the Wild’s fanbase.
Out of all the arenas I’ve been to, this is one of the better experiences I’ve had!
The only issue I really had was leaving the arena itself. I’m not exactly sure what happened, but we were stuck in complete standstill foot traffic for close to 25 minutes. People were packed shoulder-to-shoulder like canned sardines. One one hand, I can’t blame them as it was -30 outside by the time the game ended. On the other, I wish the arena was a little better prepared for the postgame mass exodus.
Is it worth the trip?
Out of all the cities I’ve visited on my NHL list so far, I’d put the Twin Cities in the upper tier. I’d highly recommend visiting during warmer months, though, as we could scarcely leave Joey’s house without fear of frostbite! There’s a lot to do in the Twin Cities and plenty of hockey-centric fun and friends you can make. I know the “Minnesota Mild” joke is thrown around quite a bit, but, if you visit, I promise you won’t think their energy is mild at all.
Last, but not least (and I cannot stress this enough): wear an extra layer whenever you go outside.
Best writing yet!
Congrats on your first Wings-Wild game! I got to take my Dad (who got me into hockey when the wings brought over Fedorov) to his first Wings game ever in St Paul last season!
I was a Mpls resident for at least 13 years until last summer, still have a lot of family and friends there, keep the twin cities under siege in your thoughts please.