Braeden Skates at the X

The neighborhood kids (l to r) Nolan, Preston, Braeden, and Tim all pose next to the Herb Brooks statue at the Xcel Energy Center

An excited group of Park & Rec. hockey players from Owatonna await instructions before heading down to the locker room area approximately 1 hour before the start of the Wisconsin/Denver game of the WCHA Final 5 hockey game in St. Paul.

Braeden sporting his new jersey that says WCHA Final Five on it. The sponsor for the lil' chippers was McDonalds and they announced them as the 'small fries' when they came on to the ice. The tension builds...

The full group....the Owatonna kids scrimmaged each other.

Time to step on the ice in front of an announced 14,000 fans between the 1st and 2nd period of the WCHA game.

We were perched high up in the Xcel Energy Center, 2nd row from the top. Mom and the kids were very afraid of heights and barely made it to their seats. They managed a smile for the photo!

Mike was neighbor Tim's 'dad' for the event. He helped him get ready and in return got to join us in the 'bowels' of the X to get the kids ready to step on the ice.

Here they go onto the ice!

Let's Play Hockey! Braeden is the last one on the ice in this second video.