Iowa Wild set to compete in first outdoor game in team history

The Iowa Wild will play in the team’s first-ever outdoor hockey game, taking on the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, Jan. 23, at 5 p.m.

“Anytime you get to play outdoors, especially in Minnesota, it’s special,” said Matt Hendricks, general manager of the Iowa Wild. “It’s hockey in its truest form. Fans are going to embrace it – the weather, the cold. It’s going to be enjoyable for everyone.”

The event is part of the schedule for the 20th annual Hockey Day Minnesota, hosted by the Minnesota Wild – the Iowa Wild’s National Hockey League parent club – and the Hastings Local Organizing Committee.

The event will be put on by the United Heroes League, a non-profit that assists military families with free sports equipment, camps, grants and experiences.

Hockey Day Minnesota will feature several days of competition at the United Heroes League’s outdoor rink in Hastings, Minn., with girls and boys varsity hockey teams also taking to the ice.

The Wild’s game against Milwaukee will mark the first outdoor professional hockey game in Hockey Day Minnesota history. It will mark the 13th outdoor game in American Hockey League history.

The Iowa Wild and the Milwaukee Admirals will play in an Olympic Village-style setup, with about 5,500 seats. Season-ticket holders will receive priority seating and options for discounted tickets, and tickets will go on sale to the general public on Aug. 4.

“(The United Heroes League) have done a tremendous job creating a great atmosphere, a great environment for this game,” Hendricks said. “It’s going to be unique in the sense that it isn’t a giant stadium.”

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Wild to take on Milwaukee Admirals in outdoor hockey game