When the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul hosts concerts or other non-hockey events, the Minnesota Wild needs a place to practice. That place is Braemar Arena in Edina — a community ice rink that primarily serves youth and high school hockey programs, and that quietly doubles as an NHL training facility when the team needs it.
WinnersView's Dave Berggren sat down with Justin Purves, operations manager at Braemar Arena, to talk about what it takes to prepare the ice for a professional hockey team — and about the relationship that develops between a major-league franchise and the close-knit community that hosts it.
The arrangement is a natural fit. Braemar Arena is one of the Twin Cities' most respected hockey facilities, and Edina's hockey culture runs deep. For residents and young players at the rink on a given day, sharing ice time with a professional organization is a reminder that the sport's roots are community-level — even at the highest levels of competition.