The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), affectionally known as P-dub, started its inaugural…read moreseason in January 2024. As a Minnesota Wild season ticket holder, with roughly ten tickets a season, I was invited to get tickets to support P-dub Minnesota. I couldn't time my Twin Cities visits to see the women play. It bummed me out. Both this team and the Wild play out of Xcel Energy Center. Similarly, both teams use the TRIA practice facility. The PWHL comprises six teams: - Toronto - Ottawa - Montreal - Minnesota - New York - Boston They were supposed to have team names. The league applied for six trademarks, which were considered leaked names. I don't know if this story is true, as you can always get trademarks for names that you think that you want, but you aren't forced to use them. It would have been the Toronto Torch (the alliteration is decent) and Minnesota Superior (as in Lake Superior). Not horrible. Go, Torch, go! This chant works. Superior has more syllables to make a chant work, though. Instead, the teams were simply PWHL + location. It seems weird, but there is standardization. When the jerseys were unveiled, it was the location in block letters running diagonally across the front. It looked simple and kind of boring, but it grew on fans. I was pleased that Minnesota chose purple as its team colour. It happens to be my favourite colour. PWHL Minnesota was doing great throughout this season. However, towards the end of it, the team lost roughly ten games in a row and barely made it into the playoffs, squeezing by Ottawa and dashing that team's playoff hopes. PWHL Toronto was the top team in the league during the regular season. I like that the rules are different in this league. This team decided its opponent in the first playoff round. It chose Minnesota. Ten-game losing skid. The team seemed to be the easiest team to beat. Minnesota proved to be a huge thorn in Toronto's side. I was fortunate to have taken in my first PWHL game in Toronto, which was also the first PWHL playoff game ever. It was a dream to see two teams that I have supported battle it out. It was a best-of-five-games series. Toronto looked strong, winning the first two games. Minnesota did a reverse series win and beat the top ranked team. Minnesota then played Boston. Boston looked dominant. Minnesota ended up tying the series. The final deciding game was played in Boston two nights ago. The Minnesota women did it. It was a shutout win to clinch the first Walter Cup. They were the underdog and proved everyone wrong. Minnesota, like Toronto, doesn't win a ton of professional championships. It was uplifting to see that the PWHL Minnesota women did it. Taylor Heise, the first draft pick in this inaugural season, won the first Ilana Kloss MVP award. Kloss happens to be the wife of Billie Jean King. Both played tennis and were trailblazers in their sport. The PWHL Minnesota consists of players from Minnesota, with the exception of a few women from Canada, and a player each from Finland and Czechia. The players will have a celebration at Xcel Energy Center on May 31st. The venue is perfect and I hope that it's awesome. Here's hoping that it's streamed live on YouTube, which has been the case for all PWHL games and special events. I would like to see this team play a game at Xcel Energy Center. I am content that I got to see the team play at Coca Cola Coliseum in Toronto. However, there's nothing like seeing a hockey game at the X, in the State of Hockey. The food is amazing, as is the atmosphere and the passion that fans have for hockey. Congrats, PWHL Minnesota! (217)

Love watching a Saints game at CHS Field. There is an onsite museum that gives you a background on…read morethe history of baseball in MN which is something I enjoyed. Great food and drink options! Parking is easy in the lot close to the field, but does come at a cost.

Fun baseball watching close up. This is AAA ball! Some of these guys will be in the majors soon…read more This compact stadium gets you much closer to the action than the cross town Twins game will. I watched players interacting with the kids. Mascots and crazy contests between innings. It's minor league ball the way we want it to be. For daytime games most seats are in direct sunlight except behind the plate. All around great time!

Since the 2012-13 season, the Minnesota Wild have been almost a perennial playoff team. However,…read morethe Wild have routinely lost in the first or qualifying rounds. They've yet to get over the hump and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The closest the team got was in 2003. That year, they got swept by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now the Anaheim Ducks), 4-0, in the Western Conference Finals. That said, all things considered, the Wild haven't done bad considering they're one of the NHL's youngest teams (founded in 2000). Only the Vegas Golden Knights (2017) and Seattle Kraken (2021) are newer. The Wild play at Xcel Energy Center, located in the Northwestern Precinct of Downtown St. Paul. The arena is referred to as "The X" and it opened in 2000. It was built specifically so St. Paul could get an NHL team. With a seating capacity of about 18,000, the X is in-line with most other NHL venues (15-20k seats). In team history, former Wild players Mikko Koivu and Marian Gaborik are probably the most well-known as both are ranked in the top two in terms of total points and goals scored. Koivu, who is from Finland, has also recorded the most games for the Wild at an even 1,000. Today, the Wild's best-known players are left-winger Zach Parise and defensemen Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Parise and Suter were both members of the silver-medal-winning US hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (Suter's dad was on the famous 1980 team that beat the Soviet Union). Since joining the team in 2012, both Parise and Suter have been key cogs in the Wild's consistent run of playoff appearances. Currently, both are alternate captains. Spurgeon first signed with the Wild earlier, in 2010, and recently signed a $53 million extension that will see him in Minnesota through the 2026-27 season. He and fellow defenseman Jonas Brodin are presently locked up the longest, contract-wise. The four aforementioned players are among the team's highest-paid at this time.

If you have been reading my reviews for a while, you know that I lived in Rochester, MN for two…read moreyears. My first year as a Minnesotan was the Minnesota Wild's inaugural year. As a result, I have a soft spot for this team. I got cable TV when I first settled in my apartment. However, I wasn't getting a ton of NHL hockey games. I was a huge hockey fan back then. I put the FAN in FANatic. I ended up changing my cable plan to basic and got the NHL game package with DIRECTV, which wasn't AT&T back then, but is now. The guy over the phone was saying that I get NFL games with my base package, which was probably a decent selling point to most Americans. I remember saying to him, "I don't care about football. I need hockey games!" Anyway, I was pleased watching local Wild games on the lone, local FOX channel whenever they were available, and all the away games on DIRECTV. Anyone remember Mike Goldberg, one of the play-by-play Wild hockey announcers on FOX? He always pronounced the last syllable of every word. Some examples: "Hi, I'm Mike Goldber-guh." "Goal by Gabori-k!" "Dow-d is in the faceoff circle." I understood the pain of losing an NHL team and getting it back. I went through it with the Winnipeg Jets. Minnesota lost its Stars team, which ended up in Dallas. When Minnesota got the Wild as its new NHL team, you knew it was the right decision. Minnesotans are diehard hockey fans. They are passionate and breathe hockey. The fanbase is loyal and strong to this day. The team's tagline is fitting and meaningful: Our state. Our team. Our ice. I couldn't get a ticket to see a game at the Xcel Energy Center as a resident of the state. I ended up putting a deposit on season tickets and returned to Canada, forgetting about this deposit for eons... until now. I recently got a game pack and went to my first Wild game. Miracles happen! The Wild have struggled to make it into the playoffs. I hope that they will someday as they continue getting the right mix of players. This year's team has a good mix of experience and talent. I am pleased to support the Wild. Xcel Energy Center is a great place to take in a hockey game. There isn't a bad seat in the house. It's fun and exciting! The food is decent. I can't wait to return soon to take in another game. Go, Wild! (425)

Super fun time! Haven't been in a couple years so it was nice to be back and watch! Sat on the…read morefloor for the first time but I think the upper level gives a better view. Merch selection is pretty good and the halftime entertainment is fun and kid friendly. Exciting and budget friendly activity in the Twin Cities!

There's no doubt the MN Roller Girls are a five star group, even if I have a few minor quibbles…read morewith my night out. I really think pretty much everyone in Minnesota should at tend at least once. They do a good job of explaining the rules so first timers know what is going on. *Five stars for being a first class organization, good for families, supportive of lots of cool community stuff (like the Anne Bancroft Foundation and Project for Pride in Living) *Five stars for showcasing quality woman athletes of all sizes. *Five stars for the live band dance party during halftime. *Five stars for $11 tickets plus kids 9 and under are FREE. *Five stars for beer. (Ok, I'm not a big beer drinker, but I fully support beer sales at any event. I just do. The rest of the concessions were just a bit above average in the pricey but tasty popcorn style) (I brought in my own water and snacks, they were checking bags but not closely.) But. BUT. And I wouldn't dare take away a star, but I'm old. And my kids are young. Could you turn down the volume just a tad so I can have a conversation that doesn't involve yelling?. And maybe start the main bout just a half hour earlier? I don't mean to nit pick, and I didn't for one second think about taking away a star.

This was a fun spot to visit on a rainy Saturday afternoon with friends…read more It seemed quite busy for the middle of the afternoon, although their large patio was closed due to the weather. We were with friends and they allowed us to push a couple tables together to accommodate our group. They had a large menu and everyone liked what they ordered (burgers or wraps, pretty standard pub fare). The arcade area is really fun but a bit pricey. They had many of the classic games from the 90s and pinball machines. There seemed to be at least 2 kid birthday parties going on and they were sitting next to the gaming area, so plenty of loud, unsupervised children running around (to be expected at the time of my visit). Lots of parking and the patio would be a great place to enjoy nice weather. This would be a fun place for a date night or just to hang out, but I would recommend visiting later in the evening unless you don't mind the kids.

Service was incredibly slow at the bar considering there were barely any customers there on a…read moreMonday. The bartender spent more time flirting with customers and talking about herself than actually making drinks. It took 15 minutes for her to acknowledge me and hand me a menu. Then 15 more minutes to see what I wanted to drink. Food was great and it's a cool atmosphere but service was certainly lacking.

Highly recommend going to a St Paul Saints baseball game at CHS field. They are the minor league…read moreteam to the Minnesota Twins. There is plenty to do other than just watching the game. Lots of fun things once you stroll around the beautiful baseball stadium. Lots of fun things and interactive items for kids to partake in. For example my son made a bookmark towards centerfield and they had a great playground set for him to get some wiggles out. There are lots of options as well for parking. We parked over by Union Depot since we were at an event earlier in the day there.

We love coming here for a saints game in the summer! It is an annual tradition for our family. We…read morepark in the tailgating lot usually and spend some time there before the game. Quick and easy walk to the field, just right around the corner. The kids usually don't like to spend time watching the game, they usually come for the dippin dots and the games. They have a kids area set up with a playground, games that include pitching, rock climbing and bounce house unlimited play for $10 and it usually includes a free hat. Lots of tasty food and beverages available for purchase all throughout. They have different events for the game and the ones we go to usually have food trucks and fireworks at the end. They also allow us to go on the field afterwards. It's a really fun family activity when the weather is nice!

Such a great experience for game day! Nestled across the highway from mac-groveland, this was an…read moreepic experience. It was easy to park on the streets for free, and many others did as well to avoid the parking lot fee at the stadium. They had a pre-game party on the lawn which was so fun! There were samples of beverages, games, and plenty of information booths. There are multiple entrances to head into the stadium. The stadium was epic! There is a huge Brewhall on one end of it, which was incredible, and they had lots of other food stations as well to choose from. We enjoyed the cheese curds! Lots of shops as well to get some gear. Evening games are gorgeous as the sun is setting just past the stadium. There is truly not a bad seat in the stadium! We were high up, but it was good so we were able to see the whole field. Staff were friendly and helpful too. Lots of fun chants to yell during the game, and of course waving your towel! Quite a crowd getting out of there but many traffic guards to help. Definitely worth a try!

First timer to Allianz Field. Was attending a company event with the family where my hubby's…read morecompany is a huge sponsor of MN United. They sponsored a picnic dinner for family outside the stadium. There's a huge pre- party area nearby for pre-game music and booths and some fun interactive experiences. I grabbed a free clear bag from Hyundai. We also checked out the kids playground area on the east side of the stadium. Loved it. Great for kids to get the wiggles out before heading into the stadium. The game was full of excitement. We sat behind the north side goal tender area. I did a nice lap around the stadium, grabbed drinks, ice cream and a souvenir for the kiddo. The only negative for me was one of the refs that had some very bad calls and the bugs. It was very buggy, I felt itchy quite often and maybe because they are constantly watering the grass so it's the only place the bugs are attracted to in the area since it's been so dry.

We took our granddaughter to the Mn History Center thinking that it would be fun. We were right…read more The exhibits are interactive enough to keep her entertained and informative enough to keep our attention. My favorite exhibit was a reenactment of the 1965 Fridley Tornado with radio coverage from WCCO's Boone and Erickson. You get to sit in a "basement" and feel what they felt...it was a lot of fun.

- Minnesota History Center…read more The Minnesota History Center was an interesting and worthwhile stop, especially for anyone who enjoys learning about state and regional history. Most of the main exhibits were located on the third floor, and I believe there were around five in total during my visit. The exhibits appealed to a wide range of ages, with some sections designed for children, others for young adults, and plenty of material that adults would appreciate as well. The museum covers a broad range of Minnesota history, including major weather events, the Greatest Generation, and different decades from the 1920s through the modern era. There was a good balance of historical information, artifacts, and interactive displays. Some of the more memorable items included a pair of the first original water skis ever invented and the steering wheel from the USS Minnesota. There were many other artifacts throughout the museum that helped connect Minnesota's history to larger events in American history. Overall, there is a lot to see and learn here. I would highly recommend the Minnesota History Center to anyone interested in history or wanting to better understand the people, events, and innovations that shaped the state.