After showing up at the west Twin Cities rink with 29 other previously wounded or injured military members, the Minneapolis native snapped a photo with Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. Then he waited his turn to slide into a sled-turned-human-ice-skate and started tooling around with a pair of shortened hockey sticks, metal studs on the bottom to use as his guides.
"This is something I never thought I'd do," said Brooks, who grew up an avid North Stars fan and became a Wild supporter following his discharge in 2004.
With the Wounded Warrior Project in town for its Soldier Ride bicycling event, Minnesota Disabled Hockey -- including members of the Minnesota Wild sled hockey team -- hosted 30 ride participants for a "learn to play sled hockey" clinic that both challenged its already tough-as-nails pupils and served as a sort of precursor for the
2017 USA Hockey Sled Classic
to be held at this same community rink in November.
The adaptive sport, offering those without use of their lower extremities a chance to play hockey, is starting to surge in growth, said Minnesota Disabled Hockey director Toni Gillen. There are almost 100 sled hockey players in the state.
That includes the Wild sled hockey club, one of more than 20 NHL team-sanctioned squads slated to take part in this year's eighth annual sled classic Nov. 16-19 back at Plymouth Ice Arena.
And it's thanks in part to events like Friday's, which expose folks to the sport who might not otherwise know of its existence but can relate to its everyday participants in their physical and mental struggles.
"It's starting to take off," said Gillen, whose group is comprised of Minnesota Sled Hockey, Minnesota Special Hockey and the Minnesota Warriors, a local team made up of military veterans -- some of whom helped direct Friday's coaching sessions.
Boudreau was on hand Friday to present a $2,500 check to the Wounded Warrior Project, the charity of choice for the Wild coach and his Wild on the Water bass fishing tournament team's donation winnings. Boudreau was involved with the Wounded Warrior Project at previous stops in Washington and Anaheim and has taken special care to embrace the State of Hockey community in his first year in Minnesota.