After skating with Wild, Brandt says she's 'enjoying the ride'

ST. PAUL -- Before she wore a gold medal or lifted an NCAA championship trophy, Hannah Brandt was a Wild fan.
When she was 9 years old, the United States women's Olympian, former University of Minnesota Golden Gopher and current Minnesota Whitecaps star served as the club's official pregame flag bearer for an October 2003 contest. During the franchise's first couple of years of existence, her father, Greg, became the 1 millionth fan to pass through the Xcel Energy Center gates. They even won a snowmobile as part of an intermission giveaway.
Now with Olympic and collegiate crowns under her belt, Brandt had done just about everything except for joining the NHL club the Vadnais Heights native grew up watching.
Till Friday.

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As part of the Wild's third annual Girls' Hockey Weekend -- presented in conjunction with Schwan's Home Service, Inc., Minnesota Hockey, USA Hockey, the WCHA and the Minnesota Whitecaps -- Brandt joined the ranks of recent U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honoree Natalie Darwitz and former Gophers star Krissy Wendell as the latest women's hockey star to practice with coach Bruce Boudreau's bunch. The weekend continues with two days of dryland training sessions for 12U, 10U and 8U girls players and Minnesota's 12:30 p.m. home clash with the Calgary Flames.
"I remember being 5 years old, I knew every single player on the team," Brandt said. "I've always been a big Wild fan. I think even Mikko Koivu was one of my favorites growing up, so it's kind of crazy that he's still on the team and I was out there practicing with him today."

It's a celebration of the sport's growth among the female ranks. And locally, Brandt has played a huge part in that.
After being named Ms. Hockey in 2011-12, her final season at Hill-Murray, Brandt helped lead the Gophers to a pair of national titles in 2013 and 2015. This past winter, she added Olympic gold to a pair of World Championship titles and a U18 world championship with the United States.
And when the local barnstorming, post-collegiate Whitecaps franchise made the transition to the National Women's Hockey League earlier this year, Brandt signed on as a free agent. She's played a central role in the club's 6-2-0 start to its inaugural season.
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Playing with the "Whitecaps has been incredible so far," Brandt said. "We're just enjoying the ride."
Showcasing her role as an ambassador for the sport, Brandt had a busy day Friday. After skating alongside Koivu -- who practiced and is a game-time decision for Saturday's game -- and chirping Jordan Greenway for a stitch-laden upper lip resulting from a stick to the chops Thursday against Florida, she quickly cleaned up and spoke to a room full of Wild staff taking part in a CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion summit. Then she booked it over to St. Paul's Jackson Elementary School with Wild mascot Nordy and fellow team ambassador Ryan Carter for the team's latest "Faceoff for Fitness" school visit. Brandt's current resume includes taking part in several of the team's 45 active-lifestyle-centered events around the Twin Cities this season.

After watching her skate in a red practice jersey, Boudreau called the skilled forward a "mini Granny."
"I'll take that," Brandt smiled.
Said Wild winger Zach Parise: "She fit right in."
Thats definitely been the case with the Whitecaps, who share TRIA Rink at Treasure Island Center with the Wild and have sold out the new venue in each of their home games to date. Led by Brandt and fellow 2018 Olympic gold medalists Lee Stecklein and Kendall Coyne Schofield, Minnesota won its first six contests and continues to draw young girls and their families.
Before this season, that wasn't an option.
"Finally, we've got a pro team in here," Parise said. "This is a great spot to have one ... I go to the rink with my son (now), and you see all the girls playing hockey. When I was growing up, there was maybe one on a boys team. It's great to see how far it's come."
Last year, 4,800 girls played 8U hockey in Minnesota, up nearly 30 percent from five years ago. Nearly one-third of the state's youth players are girls, and 152 of NCAA Division I women's players last season hailed from the State of Hockey.
Brandt was one of seven Minnesotans on this year's Olympic winner, as well.
"It's amazing how far the women's game has come," Boudreau said. "They're very capable players, and I get amazed every time I watch them."
Brandt takes her role as a role model seriously, but for her, the game is also a family affair. Through her parents' adoption of Hannah's South Korean sister, Marissa, Hannah has seen the game grow not just across gender lines but also international ones.
Greg and his wife Robin struggled with infertility for years. After his sister and brother-in-law adopted two boys from South Korea, the Brandts decided to go that route themselves.
Then they got news Robin was pregnant with Hannah about two weeks before Marissa, whose birth name is Park Yoon-jung, was scheduled to arrive. The two grew up skating together, and both took part in the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games: Hannah for the U.S., Marissa for South Korea.
Greg, Robin, Marissa and some of Marissa's friends were in attendance Friday at TRIA Rink.
"It's very cool to see her out there. I know she was looking forward to this," Marissa said. "We've grown up always going to Wild games, so for her to be out practicing with the players is a dream come true and for us to be able to watch is very special."