The Minnesota Wild, along with Bally Sports North and Minnesota Hockey, today announced that Hockey Day Minnesota 2026, presented by UnitedHealthcare, will take place at United Heroes League’s outdoor rink in Hastings.
“We’re incredibly excited to be selected as the host site for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 in Hastings,” said Shane Hudella, President of United Heroes League. “We look forward to partnering with the Hastings Hockey Association and our community to support and grow youth hockey and make this the best Hockey Day yet.”
United Heroes League opened a first-of-its-kind outdoor refrigerated regulation ice rink for military kids and Veterans on November 11, 2023, in rural Hastings.
“We are excited to partner with United Heroes League and Hastings for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026,” said Minnesota Wild Chief Executive Officer Matt Majka. “Hockey Day Minnesota continues to be a fantastic celebration of our great sport and we look forward to bringing the fun and excitement to Hastings in 2026.”
“Hastings is thrilled to be selected as the host for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026,” said Trent Hanson, Director of Athletics and Activities at Hastings High School. “Our community recognizes the incredible opportunity we have to host this premier event with such a storied tradition. Our boys and girls hockey programs, from youth through high school, look forward to participating in this one-of-a-kind experience.”
Added Mayor Mary Fasbender, “it’s going to be so incredible. I know that our community will accept this event with such pride. We are so looking forward to it. We are so fortunate to the United Heroes League in our city. We can’t thank Minnesota Hockey Day enough to even think about accipient Hastings.”
The festivities in Hastings will be part of a day-long television event broadcast on Bally Sports North, designed as a celebration of the game from peewees to pros. Proceeds from the 20th annual statewide hockey celebration will be used to grow the game of hockey in the Hastings community.
“We are excited to partner with the Minnesota Wild and the United Heroes League to bring the 2026 edition of Hockey Day Minnesota to the Hastings community,” said Bally Sports General Manager Randy Stephens. “We look forward to chronicling the town’s history of producing high-level teams and players, while also showcasing a spectacular new rink that is already impacting the important work done by United Heroes League with our military veterans.”
Additional details, including the dates, matchups and the official schedule for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 at United Heroes League’s outdoor rink in Hastings will be announced at a later date. Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 will take place at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee.
Hockey Day Minnesota originated in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild to celebrate the game that has made Minnesota the State of Hockey. It is produced in partnership with Bally Sports North, Minnesota Hockey and the respective local community that serves as host each year. Previous locations include Baudette Bay (2007, 2008), Phalen Park (2009), Hermantown (2010), Moorhead (2011), Minnetonka (2012), Grand Rapids (2013), Elk River (2014), Saint Paul (2015), Duluth (2016), Stillwater (2017), St. Cloud (2018), Bemidji (2019), Minneapolis (2020), Guidant John Rose MN Oval (2021), Mankato (2022), White Bear (2023) and Warroad (2024). Hockey Day Minnesota 2025 will take place at Valleyfair Amusement Park in Shakopee.
United Heroes League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Hastings, Minnesota. The charity assists families of all branches of the military by providing free sports equipment, free youth camps, financial grants to help pay youth sports fees, special experiences, and pro sports tickets so the entire family can enjoy a night out at a game before or after deployment. For more information visit www.unitedheroesleague.org.

-Submitted by Minnesota Wild PR