Tech and Bemidji State to play outdoors in January

BEMIDJI – The Michigan Tech hockey team will play Bemidji State outdoors on January 18 as part of the 13th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota presented by Wells Fargo. FOX Sports North, in conjunction with the National Hockey League’s Minnesota Wild, Minnesota Hockey, and the Bemidji Organizing Committee made the announcement on July 1.

The first city on the Mississippi will serve as the backdrop for five games played on an outdoor rink constructed on Lake Bemidji’s south shore. The outdoor games will feature the first Division I men’s hockey game on the Hockey Day rink when the Beavers and Huskies faceoff on Friday. Three high school games and a WCHA women’s matchup between BSU and Minnesota State are also planned for the outdoor rink.

Friday’s faceoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern in the first of a two-game WCHA series. Saturday’s game will be played inside the Sanford Center, beginning at 8:30 p.m. Ticket information will be announced at a later date, and FOX Sports North is not televising Tech’s game.

Representatives from the Minnesota Wild, FOX Sports North, Wells Fargo and all participating teams were in attendance to announce that Bemidji will be the first host city to make Hockey Day Minnesota into a three-day celebration. Incoming freshmen and Minnesota natives, Brian Halonen and Eric Gotz were in attendance to represent Michigan Tech at the announcement.

The Huskies last played outdoors when they hosted the 2013 Great Lakes Invitational at Comerica Park in Detroit. Tech advanced to the 49th GLI Championship Game with a shootout win after a 2-2 tie with Michigan State and then fell 1-0 to Western Michigan in the title game.