What used to be, ain't anymore

We’re baaaaack!  Did you miss us?  Well, I’m here to present the updated and improved all new Rink Rat Review for you.  The old version got up and running for the 1999 - 2000 season after 3 seasons of printing hard copy.  If you have a newspaper printing of our inaugural issue dated November, 1996 with a photo of The Miner’s Memorial Arena in Virginia on the front page, then you and I are probably the only ones.  The value of that issue would be at least a dollar two ninety eight.  The final issue of that season and last Rink Rat Review newspaper version is dated February, 1997.  The headline was in bold print of the Hibbing-Chisholm Girls as State Tournament Champs with the front page picture of the Hibbing Memorial Arena ice surface with the best line in the state of Amber Frycklund, Beth Wolff & Noelle Skalko skating down toward my camera.  What a sight!  Needless to say, I have a gazillion memories in the past well-nigh 30 seasons.  The previous website was developed back in ‘99 by my wife using a Front Page program and this new version was developed by my son using a modern Wix format.  It will take me some time to get used to it, but we are finally up and running and it is only the 1st week of December.

The new website is not the only change for my winter hobby as my personal lifestyle involving hockey has taken a deep dive.  The 2019 - 2020 season was the last one of total hockey involvement as Covid changed everything.  It not only cancelled the 2020 - 2021 season for us, it completely obliterated all extra activities.  My playing and coaching days came to an end along with my 18 year involvement in youth hockey.  The biggest change was our geographical location.  We moved from our Balkan Township country location just north of Chisholm to the Southwestern Metro area as my wife was offered a more financially stable teaching contract.  Covid also gave an excuse for the Minnesota State High School League’s Communications Director, Vladimir Putin to terminate State Tournament credentials to us lower level hockey reporting grunts.  Such is the way of the play.  My days as a hockey player, coach, referee, director, parent, board member, reporter, publisher, etc along with catching 150+ games per season has come down to my last vestige of hockey involvement in which you are now looking at.  My biggest seasonal highlite now will be my 28th appearance at the South St. Paul Girls Kaposia Tournament at Doug Woog Arena on December 31st - January 2nd.  We used to come down and camp out for those 3 days of excitement.  The Hibbing/Chisholm Girls have been there every year and December of ‘97 was my 1st tourney when the girls were the defending state champs and went up against the likes of Park Center's Krissy Wendell, Eagan's Natalie Darwitz and Roseville’s Curtin sisters.  The 1st person I see is John Gilbert and he grabs me and takes me over to see a classmate of mine who turns out to be none other than Gary Gambucci.  What a great intro to a great tournament.  I still go, but hardly know anyone there anymore.  The Hibbing/Chisholm coaching staff, a couple of parents and maybe a reporter or scout.  The one that I do see and chat with for sure is Dave Palmquist, still the Packer Girl’s only head hockey coach.  He tells me that I have to keep coming back since I am the 2nd longest running hockey puck in attendance.  What he doesn’t know is that sure, there is the hockey, however, there is nothing like all those crock pots, cold cuts, beverages and 27 different kinds of desserts that the South St. Paul hockey moms provide for the players, press, coaches and scouts.  It’s a foodie paradise and, for me, it ranks right up there with All Feasts Day (Veterans Day.)  Okay, okay, is there a finish line ahead?  Anyway, another high school hockey season is underway here in Minnesota, the State of Hockey!  Stay tuned…..!