Pair of Mankato West boys' captains will take things outside ... again

MANKATO -- When the Mankato West boys hockey team takes to the ice on Friday night at Blakeslee Stadium, it will be the second time this month a couple of Scarlets captains will take center stage on outdoor ice in front of several thousand people.
As part of the Hockey Day Minnesota celebration in Mankato, which officially begins with a full day of coverage on Bally Sports North the following morning, the West boys will take on crosstown rival Mankato East as part of a "Friday Night Lights" theme, a game which will be followed by the Minnesota State University men's alumni game.

But for seniors Gavin Brunmeier and Brady Hatkin, what they will experience on Friday night in front of their friends, families and classmates will be small potatoes compared to the spectacle they took part in on Jan. 1, when they represented their team and their school on one of Target Field's auxiliary rinks prior to the Winter Classic.
Alongside two West girls players and four players from their counterparts at East, they represented Mankato in a Hockey Day tease that drew a loud reaction from the fans at the Winter Classic.
"It was crazy," Hatkin said. "I know when we first walked out there, it was before all the fans were there, but it was just so big and empty without the fans. And then walking out there, under the lights with all the people there cheering, it's just something you never think you'd experience in your life."
That sounds a little bit like Hockey Day coming to Southern Minnesota.
For years, both Brunmeier and Hatkin said they've watched the statewide celebration of hockey on TV, but until 2020, thinking it'd come to a place like Mankato seemed like a longshot. It had never ventured south of the Twin Cities before.

"It's such a big thing and everyone who plays hockey knows what Hockey Day Minnesota is," Brunmeier said. "Having it here is a big privilege to show off our town and show the experiences we have here, just like the rest of the State of Hockey. That Southern Minnesota isn't terrible hockey, like I think it can be looked at as."
For Scarlets head coach Nate Olsen, the opportunity to take part in Hockey Day weekend, in his hometown, as leader of the program he himself grew up playing in, is one he's looking forward to.
"I think the kids are excited for this opportunity. They've seen that rink come together," Olsen said. "It's going to be a very unique experience. Our program had the opportunity to play an outdoor game down in Winona about five years ago, and it was really cool, but that was during the day.
"To have it under the lights, on that big stage, with all the village set up and the extra bleachers, it's going to be a really cool environment for our kids."

After a one-year delay in the event due to COVID-19, both Brunmeier and Hatkin will get to experience the thrills of both the Winter Classic and Hockey Day Minnesota first person, and help host the weeklong celebration as senior captains.
Brunmeier said he was surprised to see Wild players so close during pregame introductions, when they skated from the center-field warming house to the ice surface. While they seem larger on TV, he said, some didn't look all that much different up close.
The number of people in the stands was a bit of a shocker though.
"To look up and see endless amounts of people, it was surreal," Brunmeier said. "It was kind of breathtaking to hear the roar of the crowd when the Wild came out. It was pretty incredible and it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I wouldn't change anything for that."
For Hatkin, he took that time during the practice run before the game to try and imagine what it would be like once all the people filed into Target Field later that evening.
Needless to say, it surpassed even his wildest expectations.
"I knew there was going to be a lot of people, but I didn't think Target Field would be like 100 percent capacity," Hatkin said. "It was absolutely insane."
And while 38,000-plus won't be at Blakeslee Stadium on Friday night, there should be significantly more than the 1,000 or so that can squeeze into Mankato's All Seasons Arena for a normal West-East rivalry game.
Brunmeier said he's been to a few football games at the stadium, but never could imagine what a hockey rink would look like in its spot. His mind is already running wild in terms of what that could be like, but if history is any indication, those expectations sure seem likely to be surpassed in a big way.
"I've seen the pictures and it looks great," Brunmeier said. "I think it's going to be packed and it's gonna be awesome. I can't wait."
Main photo from @scarlet_hockey Twitter