But it was that moment being celebrated by deaf/hard of hearing hockey players. Blind hockey players. Sled hockey players. Special hockey players.
That's what made Sunday an afternoon of celebration.
"We are the State of Hockey. We're leaders in the sport across the U.S. and North America," explained Kalli Funk, hockey partnerships manager for the Wild. "So, we need to make sure we're setting a good example and including everyone that wants to play hockey, and providing an outlet and space for them to do so."
Presented by Gillette Children's, the global beacon of care for patients with brain, bone and movement conditions that start in childhood, Minnesota Diversified Hockey enables athletes to participate with other skaters with similar interests and abilities.
Areas of disciplines include:
• Blind Hockey
• Deaf/HOH Hockey
• Special Hockey
• Sled Hockey
• Warrior Hockey
Each of these programs incorporate elements that are unlike the typical sport of hockey, but at their core, they are designed to ensure hockey truly is for everybody.
Ahead of puck drop, Alex Gullingsrud, a 10-year-old sled player and cancer survivor from Red Lake Falls, slid to center ice as the game's official flagbearer. Then it was AJ Caslow, a deaf/hard of hearing player from Hudson, Wisconsin, with the 'Let's Play Hockey' call. Members of the Minnesota Wild Special Hockey spent time on the bench during pregame warmups.
Minnesota Wild Special Hockey showcased their skills during the second intermission, and players from all designations roamed the concourse with programs for sale. Booths to educate fans, family, and friends on their own passions for hockey were also found at Xcel that afternoon.
"Watching Alex be the flagbearer today just brings you to tears, knowing all that he's battled through," Funk said, noting his cancer fight. "It's just so important to raise awareness for all of these programs, and it serves as a reminder that it doesn't matter what ability you do have, you can play hockey."
Postgame, among the NHL locker room celebration, Marc-Andre Fleury donned a Hendrickson Foundation hat, one of the local organizations partaking in Sunday's festivities and a leading group in supporting all the diversified designations.
"(Hockey's) the best sport out there," Fleury said. "Hopefully many kids can try it. It doesn't matter how they are, who they are, I just hope they can enjoy and try it. See how it is. See the fun you could have on the ice."
Appropriately fitting for a Sunday celebration for all.
