9 minute read
Hockey Day MN
From DII program to DI power
Former player recalls playing days when DII Mankato State became DI Minnesota State University
by BRYAN ZOLLMAN
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
Ryan Rintoul hailed from Winnipeg when he crossed the United States border to suit up for the Mankato State Mavericks in 1994 after playing in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League.
A couple years later Mankato State would become Minnesota State and make the leap to Division 1 hockey.
Rintoul was one of several Canadian-born players who came to the U.S. back then to play hockey – specifically to the small southern Minnesota city with a medium-sized college that was looking to create a respectable Division I program.
“Oh, man we were all excited and rearing to go and we were all certainly thankful for the opportunity,” said Rintoul, now 48, and one of several MSU alumni who will be skating in Friday’s alumni game during Hockey Day Minnesota in Mankato. “We were about to set out on a journey into fresh snow, create our own path. It was an exciting time with the new building, new program and immediate support from the Mankato area community.”
The team was coached by Don Brose, who had coached at Mankato State when they first started their program in 1969 until the 2000 season, successfully transitioning the school form a Division III school to a Division I program. By the time he retired in 2000 he had amassed 535 wins and winning percentage of .606.
“Coach Brose really supported us as student-athletes,” said Rintoul. “He loved the school, cared about its reputation and was laying the groundwork for future Maverick teams.”
In their first year in the WCHA the Mavericks won 21 games, very respectable for a team’s first season in the league.
“We had a good, experienced team that was mixed in with better talent each and every year,” noted Rintoul. “And as I think back, we had a little chip on our shoulder for sure.”
Those first couple teams and group of coaches did lay the ground work for a program that has become one of the nation’s top winning programs the past five seasons with a 135-38-6 record and four straight WCHA championships. They currently lead the newly-formed CCHA and after spending four straight weeks ranked No. 1 in the country, head into this weekend ranked No. 2.
The program continues to churn out top talent as well. Current goaltender Dryden McKay is the all-time NCAA Division I leader in career shutouts and was a Hobey Baker hat trick finalist last season and could vie for the award this season as well as the coveted Mike Richter Award given to college hockey’s top goaltender. Nathan Smith, a product of Florida, currently leads the country in scoring. They have several NHL alumni. Smith is currently on the 2022 Olympic roster.
Speaking of scoring, Rintoul ranks fifth all time in points scored in program history with 165. Like many former Mavericks he dabbled in professional hockey for a few years before starting a career and a family. He currently resides in Apple Valley with his wife Bobbi and has two adult children playing college soccer.
One thing that sticks out to Rintoul is how close-knit the MSU alumni are.
“I’d say we have as tight an alumni in NCAA hockey as any program in the country,” he said.
He stays in touch often with his former teammates from those early Division I seasons. For the past 19 years he and former teammates play in a “CanAm Cup,” a Ryder Cup style golf tourney held annually in Mankato.
“We gather for family night hockey games at MSU and many of us play “Mav Cup” fantasy hockey,” he said. “And Lord knows there are hundreds of texts flying around daily.”
Minnesota State Hockey has had quite a run from those early years of Division I play. Rintoul and fellow alumni hope nothing more than to see the city of Mankato, Minnesota State University, and all those who have pulled on a Maverick sweater see them get to that national championship game (the school did win a Division III national championship in 1980). Last season they made it to the Frozen Four, losing 5-4 in overtime to St. Cloud State.
Rintoul said he is somewhat surprised the program has elevated itself to where it is, especially with so many powerful hockey programs in the country.
“This is arguably one of the best programs in NCAA,” he said. “That is pretty mind blowing. We are all now so used to MSU being a perennial top 5 team, we just expect it.”
Rintoul praised the current players, coaching staff and administration for the continued growth and ultimate success of the program.
“It’s not lucky, it’s by design and hard work,” he said. “Winning helps everything and players want to go where they can develop and win. That place is MSU.”
But can they win it all? And is this the year?
“Winning a national championship would be incredible and I certainly think it can happen,” he said. “You need a little luck of the draw, some bounces, clutch saves, timely goals…but yeah…why not us?”
Ryan Rintoul played four seasons with the Mavericks, his last two after the program turned Division I. The program is now one of the winningest programs in college hockey the past
five seasons. PHOTO COURTESY OF MINNESOA STATE
In conjunction with the Minnesota Wild, Bally Sports North announced plans for Hockey Day Minnesota (HDM), presented by UnitedHealthcare, which will take place on Saturday, Jan. 22, starting at 9:00 a.m. Highlighted by more than 14 hours of continuous hockey programming, the network will broadcast a variety of Hockey Day content, televise two high school games, one collegiate game, as well as the Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks match-up from Xcel Energy Center during primetime. The day will conclude with the debut of Becoming Wild: Winter Classic. Hockey Day Minnesota programming will be anchored from a Hockey Day set located at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato, Minn. Throughout the afternoon, the Bally Sports North team will introduce viewers to numerous special features and reports from across the State of Hockey. Bally Sports North will have an entire team of on-air talent reporting throughout the day, including Ryan Carter, Ben Clymer, Marney Gellner, Kevin Gorg, Anthony LaPanta, Audra Martin, Gigi Marvin, Conner Onion, Mark Parrish, Katie Storm, and Wes Walz. Viewers may also recognize a familiar face when Minnesota-born Jamie Hersch hosts the Hockey Day set in Mankato. Hersch currently hosts NHL Network’s “On The Fly.”
Special Features: • Anthony Ford Story
Anthony Ford’s dream was to “Become the next Great One.” Antony passed away in 2006 at just nine years of age. A year later, the Mankato area started the “Anthony Ford Fund,” Its goal is to provide affordable hockey to help grow the culture in the Mankato Area. • Sights and Sounds pieces from earlier in the Week of happening at Mankato
A feature on the Wednesday night girls’ game and a feature on the Friday night boys’ game. • Gigi Marvin Interview with Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein
Gold Medalist Gigi Marvin sits down with former Team USA members and Minnesota Natives Hannah Brandt and Lee Stecklein. • Hockey is for me-player-Tanner Hill
Tanner Hill was introduced to Hockey through the Minnesota Wild’s “Hockey is for Me” program. He’s continuing with a sport he’s grown to love. • Shannon O’Hara Foundation
Rochester native Shannon O’Hara was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 12. She passed away nine months later (in 2012). Shannon loved hockey. She lived her life with a positive attitude and focused on being a good friend and teammate. This foundation was started to carry on her legacy. • From Sweaters to Stripes
Ryan Carter sits down with the 3 Glassier brothers from Hutchinson to talk about continuing with the sport they love by being referees. • Minnesota Hockey Essays
We will air essays from the three finalists in the Minnesota Hockey Essay Contest and announce the winner. This year’s topic is: Everyone should play Hockey in Minnesota because.... Other:
The hockey community is encouraged to join the HDM celebrations by using #HDM2022 – select text and photo content may be incorporated into the broadcast throughout the day. - Single-day and three-day ticket packages for Hockey Day Minnesota 2022 are on sale now at wild. com/HockeyDay or available for purchase on-site at Blakeslee Stadium. - For every goal scored on Hockey Day Minnesota, UnitedHealthcare will donate 1,000 meals to Second Harvest Heartland. - The signature event will be televised regionally on Bally Sports North and via the Bally Sports app. Channel availability: www.ballysports.com/north - Hockey Day Minnesota programming will air on Bally Sports North and stream live on the Bally Sports app and ballysports.com when a consumer authenticates through their pay-TV service. The Bally Sports app is available on mobile and tablet devices, including iOS and Android, and connected devices, including Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku Players and Roku TV, Samsung and LG platforms, and Xbox One. Fans can also download the app for free from the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Amazon App Store, Roku App Store, XBOX One App Store, and Windows App Store Hockey Day Minnesota was 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 hosts 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) and John Rose Oval, (2021). For more information, visit the Hockey Day Minnesota page.
About Bally Sports North
Bally Sports North – a Sinclair Broadcast Group-owned regional sports network – presents more live, local sports programming than any other network or broadcast system in the market. Serving sports fans throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and North and South Dakota, the regional network produces over 250 live sporting events every year. Visit www.ballysports. com and follow @BallySportsNOR on Twitter, @BallySportsNorth on Instagram, and BallySportsNorth on Facebook for more regional sports content.
Hockey Day MN Schedule
Date Time Match Up
Location TV Wed., Jan 19 7 p.m. Mankato East vs. Mankato West - Girls’ Blakeslee Field No Thur., Jan 20 5 p.m. Wounded Warrior Game Blakeslee Field No Thur., Jan 20 7 p.m. Southern Minnesota Celebrity Game Blakeslee Field No Fri., Jan 21 5:30 p.m. Mankato East vs. Mankato West - Boys’ Blakeslee Field No Fri., Jan 21 8:30 p.m. Minnesota State University Alumni Game Blakeslee Field No Sat., Jan 22 9:30 a.m. Andover vs. Edina - Girls’ Blakeslee Field Yes Sat., Jan 22 1 p.m. East Grand Forks vs. Prior Lake - Boys’ Blakeslee Field Yes Sat., Jan 22 4:30 p.m. Minnesota State vs. St. Thomas - Men’s Blakeslee Field Yes Sat., Jan 22 8 p.m. Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks Xcel Energy Center Yes Sun., Jan 23 1:30 p.m. Minnesota State vs. St. Thomas - Women’s Blakeslee Field No
