Minnesota

Minnesota is a state in the north-central United States.

It has a population of over 5,700,000.

The capital is St. Paul and the largest city is Minneapolis. It is known as the State of Hockey.

History of hockey in Minnesota

See also: Minnesota Senior Hockey Champions, 1945-46 Minnesota amateur hockey season, 1946-47 Minnesota amateur hockey season

Frank Barron formulated rules and founded the St. Paul Polo Club in 1883. Within a year, clubs in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Stillwater had organized a Northwestern League. On February 15, 1886, as part of the St. Paul Winter Carnival, an ice polo match “for the championship of the Northwest and the silver cup of the carnival” was played between the Carnival Skating Club and the Ryan Rink Club, won 3-2 by the former. Ryan defeated Carnival 3-1 in a return game. The Junior Carnival Club won the Winter Carnival tournament in 1887, and the St. Pauls claimed the state championship over the Minneapolis Lelands in 1888.

In 1892, the St. Paul Henriettes split two games against the Stillwater Palace Club. By 1893, there was ice polo being played in Duluth as well, and the St. Paul Henriettes captured the state title with a 2-1 win over the Duluth Polo Club. Duluth exacted revenge on the Henriettes and captured the state title in 1894. The Twin City Ice Polo League, featuring clubs from St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Fort Snelling, and the Head of the Lakes Polo Championship, composed of teams from Duluth and Superior (WI) were contested in 1894-95. Ice polo remained popular until the turn of the century, the St. Paul Northern Pacifics capturing the state title in 1897, and the Duluth Zeniths copping it in 1898 and 1899.

The first ice hockey games in Minnesota were played in 1895, the University of Minnesota facing the Minneapolis Hockey Club in two games. Winnipeg defeated the University 11-3 on February 18, in the first international hockey game played in the state. Winnipeg beat St. Paul and Minneapolis to capture the 1896 St. Paul Winter Carnival title. There were three senior teams in St. Paul by the winter of 1899-1900 - the St. Paul Athletic Club, St. Paul Hockey Club, and the Virginias, and the Minneapolis club was still active. The Great Eastern Hockey Club (formerly the Zeniths) also began to play hockey in Duluth in 1900, switching from ice polo. The Twin Cities League was established in 1901, but the playing schedule was not completed. The St. Paul Virginias were awarded the league title in 1902. The Victorias won the league five straight times from 1903-1907, the MicMacs captured the title in 1908, and the Phoenix won it from 1909-1911.

Hockey was being played in Eveleth and Two Harbors by 1903. The St. Paul Victorias beat Two Harbors for the Minnesota state title in 1904, 1905 and 1906. The Minneapolis Hockey League made its debut in 1904-05. The Duluth Northern Hardware club was established in 1907, losing the state title series to the Victorias in their first season, but winning it in 1908. The Duluth Curling Club was formed in 1911, and faced teams from around the region. They joined the American Amateur Hockey Association in 1913-14, but withdrew from the league early in 1915. The St. Paul Athletic Club played an independent schedule in 1915, and joined the AAHA the following year, before going independent again in 1917. The club returned to the league in 1920.

The Minneapolis Park Hockey League was formed for the 1914-15 season and consisted of eight teams. By 1920 it featured 20 squads, and continued to expand rapidly from there. In 1931, the Minneapolis Recreation Department showed an enrollment of 275 teams and 2,750 players, with a schedule of 800 games that were played on 26 "brilliantly lighted rinks" throughout the park system. For 1935-36, a total of 435 teams were reported to be apart of the Park League, making it by far the largest hockey program in the country.

The St. Paul Athletic Club, Eveleth Reds, and Duluth American Legion were founding members of the United States Amateur Hockey Association in 1920-21. The Minneapolis Millers also joined the league in 1923-24. After the USAHA disbanded, the Millers, Duluth Hornets, St. Paul Saints, and Eveleth-Hibbing Flyers spent the 1925-26 season in the Central Amateur Hockey League. For 1926-27, the Saints, Millers, and Hornets joined the American Hockey Association. The Millers and Saints left the AHA to play in the Central Hockey League from 1931-1935, before returning to the league in 1936. The St. Paul Greyhounds started the 1932-33 season in the AHA, but after the end of the first half they moved to become the Tulsa Oilers. The Minnesota North Stars played in the National Hockey League from 1967-1993. The Minnesota Wild have been members of the league since 2000. The Minnesota Fighting Saints competed in the World Hockey Association from 1972-1977.

The Northern Amateur League ran from 1945-1951. The Northwest Hockey League operated from 1950-51 to 1956-57. The Warroad Lakers, who played in the league, were active for 50 years - from 1946-47 to 1996-97 - and notably won the Hardy Cup in 1974 and the Allan Cup 1994, 1995, and 1996.

College hockey is very popular in Minnesota, and the state currently has six NCAA Division I programs. The Minnesota High School Hockey Championship is highly coveted, and the state tournament has been held annually since 1945.

List of minor professional franchises

• St. Paul Saints - (AHA) - (1926-1930, 1935-1942)
• Duluth Hornets - (AHA) - (1926-1933)
• Minneapolis Millers - (AHA) - (1926-1931, 1936-1942)
• Minneapolis Millers - (CHL) - (1931-1935)
• St. Paul Saints - (CHL) - (1931-1935)
• Eveleth Rangers - (CHL) - (1931-1935)
• Hibbing Maroons - (CHL) - (1931-1933)
• Virginia Rockets - (CHL) - (1931-1932)
• Duluth Natives - (CHL) - (1932)
• St. Paul Greyhounds - (AHA) - (1932-1933)
• Duluth Hornets - (CHL) - (1933-1934)
• Hibbing Miners - (CHL) - (1933-1934)
• Minneapolis Millers - (USHL) - (1945-1950)
• St. Paul Saints - (USHL) - (1945-1951)
• Saskatoon/St. Paul Regals - (WHL) - (1957-1958)
• St. Paul Saints - (IHL) - (1959-1963)
• Minneapolis Millers - (IHL) - (1959-1963)
• Minneapolis Rebels - (USHL) - (1961-1962)
• Rochester Mustangs - (USHL) - (1961-1970)
• St. Paul Steers - (USHL) - (1962-1966)
• Minneapolis Bruins - (CHL) - (1963-1965)
• St. Paul Rangers - (CHL) - (1963-1965)
• Minnesota Rangers - (CHL) - (1965-1966)
• Minnesota Nationals - (USHL) - (1967-1968)
• Duluth Port Stars - (USHL) - (1968)
• Minnesota Fighting Saints - (WHA) - (1972-1977)
• St. Paul Fighting Saints - (AHA) - (1992-1993)
• Minnesota Iron Rangers - (AHA) - (1992-1993)
• Minnesota Moose - (IHL) - (1994-1996)

List of Division I college hockey teams

• St. Thomas Tommies (1920-)
• Minnesota Golden Gophers (1921-)
• Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs (1930-)
• St. Cloud State Huskies (1931-)
• Bemidji State Beavers (1947-)
• Minnesota State Mavericks (1969-)

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