Majka, a Detroit native who moved to Minnesota at age 8, became Wild CEO in August 2023 after a long run of promotions with an organization he has been part of since its beginning. “The state of hockey always existed, the Wild just gave it a name,” Majka says.
The Wild and Majka have been strong partners of the MHCA since the club’s founding in 1997. In large part because of his efforts, every high school program in the state has a jersey hanging in Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Majka has helped oversee or establish:
- Wild in-game production of the state tournament
- Financial support of the MHCA since the Wild’s inception
- Hockey Night in Minnesota broadcasts showcasing high school hockey
- Hockey Day, created in part to celebrate high school hockey
- Continued support of the MHCA’s Hall of Fame and fall clinic
- Support for the annual Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award
He has also backed a partnership between the Wild and Minnesota Hockey that keeps the state tournament banquets going, and he supports the Skate It Forward initiative to preserve and celebrate community hockey. Majka received the MHCA’s Oscar Almquist Award in 2016.
Speaking of the Hall of Fame class, MHCA Executive Director Dustin Vogelgesang said: “Their careers are filled with remarkable accomplishments, but their true legacy is the relationships they built and the lasting impact they’ve had on players, coaches, programs and communities throughout Minnesota. This is an incredibly deserving Hall of Fame class, and we’re proud to recognize what each of them has given to our game.”
The Hall of Fame class also includes Mike Randolph (Duluth East/St. Thomas Academy/Northern Lakes), Greg Rajanen (Austin/Fridley/Anoka), Frank Senta (Rosemount/Lakeville/Burnsville), Lee Smith (Eden Prairie) and Mike Taylor (Eagan).
Jon Bittner, the longtime Crookston coach and former MHCA Executive Director, is the winner of the Cliff Thompson Award, the MHCA’s highest honor. Other award winners are Thomas Johnson (Dave Peterson Award), Fran McDevitt (Bruce Johnson Award) and the late David La Vaque (Oscar Almquist Award).
Honorees will be recognized Friday, Sept. 25, at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul between periods of the Minnesota Wild’s game against the Dallas Stars. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.
About the Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association:
The Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association (MHCA) is a statewide organization dedicated to developing Minnesota high school hockey coaches and players to their fullest potential on the ice, in the classroom and as citizens, and to promoting the full high school hockey experience through graduation. The MHCA also works to strengthen the community-based hockey model and advocates for high school coaches and players with government agencies and representative bodies that share its mission.
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