Wild invites Gulf War vet to attend road trip with the team 

Many elements of Tuesday’s Minnesota Wild game against the Edmonton Oilers honored men and women who bravely served in the Armed Forces.

A group of Vietnam War veterans were honored on the ice during the first intermission of the Wild’s eventual 7-4 victory over the Oilers. A Joint Honor Guard representing the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines presented the colors for the game ahead of the national anthem.

The biggest surprise of the night came during intermission on the arena level of Xcel Energy Center, however. Veteran Ed Abrahamson stood outside the Wild dressing room with his service dog, Dez, as he was interviewed by Bally Sports North’s Kevin Gorg. After a brief interview, Wild General Manager Bill Guerin stepped next to Abrahamson. Guerin thanked the Gulf War veteran and retired police officer for his service.

But there was more.

“What we’d like to do is invite you, and Dez, of course, on a road trip this year with us,” Guerin said. “Just our way of saying thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

Abrahamson was speechless.

“This is unbelievable,” Abrahamson told Gorg. “Thank you so much. It’s truly an honor. And I’m just so privileged to be here tonight.”

The interview was later shown on the video board in the arena during the second intermission as Abrahamson was highlighted for his work in front of the Wild’s home crowd. Abrahamson was also presented with a special military Wild jersey featuring his name and the No. 6, no doubt representing Soldier’s 6, the non-profit Abrahamson founded which provides trained K-9s to honorably discharged police officers, firefighters, paramedics, correctional officers and 911 dispatchers.

Abrahamson is a combat Army veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne. He was deployed three times, including during the Gulf War. At home in Minnesota, he served his communities as a police officer for the Minneapolis and South St. Paul police departments. He was also a negotiator and operator with the SWAT team, along with being a field training officer and a liaison for Behind the Yellow Ribbon.

As a police officer, he received two awards for his life-saving efforts while on the job, first for pulling an unconscious victim from a burning vehicle and second for pulling a woman out of a burning building. In May 2015, he retired from South St. Paul PD and was awarded a service dog. Then he started Soldier’s 6 in January 2016.

For Abrahamson, the call to serve started during his childhood. It was always something he wanted to do, he told Gorg.

“Just be a part of my community, whether it’s law enforcement, in the military,” Abrahamson said. “Just drawn to be a part of something bigger than myself.”

Soldier’s 6 trains dogs the Wild have used in their K-9 program. This season, the team’s dog is a Golden Retriever mix rescue named Hatty, the fifth team dog with a new one each season starting with Breezer in 2019-20. The dogs have a year-long training with the Wild and then are trained with Soldier’s 6 and given to a veteran in need.

Abrahamson said during the Bally Sports North interview: “Never would I have imagined that this is where I would be and this is what I’d be doing in this time in my life.

“It’s just been a privilege to be here amongst all of you… it’s inspiring.”