12 things to know about the 12th annual Hockey Day Minnesota

The 12th annual Hockey Day Minnesota is coming up this weekend, Jan. 19-20. Here are 12 things you need to know before the puck drops at Lake George in St. Cloud.

1. All of Saturday's games will be broadcast on FOX Sports North, and will allow fans to access the events via virtual reality (VR) technology.
All five games Saturday
will be broadcast
via FOX Sports North, FOX Sports North PLUS and the FOX Sports GO app. Additionally, fans can access the events with a new virtual reality app -- allowing members of the State of Hockey to experience its premier event from their homes.
Fans can download the FOX Sports VR app from the App Store, and can experience a stadium suite and 180 degree views from the outdoor games in St. Cloud over a smartphone or tablet. This is the first year that any type of interactive VR app will be available for Hockey Day Minnesota events.
FOX Sports GO will also offer eight unique stories as part of 14 hours of original Hockey Day Minnesota content, including features on Minnesota Wild players Matt Cullen and Jason Zucker as well as inspirational hockey figures.
2. Four live artists will perform over the course of the two days, culminating in a concert that is free to the public Saturday night.
For the first time in its history, Hockey Day Minnesota will
feature live music
throughout its two days at Lake George.
On Saturday, Jan. 20, Andy Austin and Walter's Wheelhouse will perform between games for fans who have tickets to the events. At the end of the day, The Fabulous Armadillos will play from 7-10 p.m. in a free concert open to the public.
The Shalo Lee Band will also perform Friday night following the St. Cloud State University Alumni Game at an exclusive VIP party.
3. Tickets are still available to both days of Hockey Day Minnesota, as well as the Minnesota Wild game Jan. 20.
Still haven't bought a ticket to Hockey Day? There are still tickets available for sale
online
.
Tickets can also be bought on-site at Lake George on Jan. 19 and 20.
To cap off Hockey Day Minnesota 2018, the Minnesota Wild will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Tickets are also still available
here
for this game against one of the top teams in the NHL.

4. You won't go hungry at Hockey Day.
Several food trucks, including Original Hockey Mom Brownies, will be parked in a designated food truck area at Lake George and ready to offer up warm snacks. The food trucks are just a short walk from the outdoor rink and stage area.
5. More than 90 St. Cloud State alumni will suit up and take the ice Friday night.
Bret Hedican and Mark Parrish will captain the two teams,
composed of St. Cloud State alumni
ranging from the Class of 1964 through the Class of 2017.

Women will play in the first period while men will play in the second and third periods. The alumni game will follow a girls' high school game between the
St. Cloud Icebreakers
and
Sartell/Sauk Rapids Storm'n Sabres
on Jan. 19.
HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2018 GAMES FOR FRIDAY, JAN. 19
6. Hockey Day 2018 will see the first outdoor women's collegiate game in the event's history.
Stillwater, home of Hockey Day Minnesota in 2017, hosted the first-ever women's Hockey Day collegiate game. St. Cloud is continuing the tradition but will take the contest outside for the first time.
The
University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
will visit the hometown
St. Cloud State University Huskies
as both teams look to finish their seasons strong. Many of the women grew up playing pick-up hockey outside, and welcome the chance to do so and represent women's hockey on a bigger stage.
The Bulldogs and Huskies face off at 1 p.m. Saturday in the second game of their weekend WCHA series.
7. Meanwhile, the second of two boys' high school matchups features two teams ranked in the top 15 in Minnesota.
The
Moorhead Spuds
, most recently ranked 13th, and the
Centennial Cougars
, ranked No. 8, will take the ice at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 for what promises to be a
high-stakes game
.
In 2004, the teams met in the State Championship game, which Centennial won. Since then, the series has moved back and forth as the two talented teams look to cement their legacies. This is Centennial's first Hockey Day appearance, while Moorhead has appeared previously as the host city in 2011.
8. Parking will be available around downtown St. Cloud, as well as free shuttles to take fans to Lake George.
There will be street parking in the neighborhoods surrounding Lake George. The Tech High School booster club will also have two large Tech High School lots available for parking for $5.
Otherwise, fans can park at almost any parking lot or ramp in downtown St. Cloud and catch the official HDM free shuttle that will run continuously. To check out the shuttle routes, click
here
.

9. Fans can stay warm outside thanks to a unique Hockey Day Minnesota blend from Caribou Coffee.
Hockey Day Minnesota Blend
will be available to purchase starting Wednesday, Jan. 17 on Caribou Coffee's website, and at four Caribou Coffee locations in St. Cloud starting Jan. 19. Hockey Day Minnesota Blend will also be brewed at Hockey Day Minnesota events on Jan. 19 and 20.
Caribou Coffee will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this blend to the St. Cloud Youth Hockey Association. Fans can also purchase commemorative 12 oz. bags of Hockey Day Minnesota Blend on site during Hockey Day Minnesota.
10. And speaking of staying warm …
The forecast predicts comparatively warm temperatures Friday and Saturday, which could break the previous record for warmest Hockey Day (St. Paul in 2015 saw the mercury hit 38 degrees).
With a cloudy weekend and low chance of precipitation, the weather seems ideal for outdoor pucks. Weekend temperatures are forecast to range between 22 and 40 degrees, so layer up.
HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2018 GAMES FOR SATURDAY, JAN. 20
11. Hockey Day Minnesota 2018 apparel will be available on-site starting Jan. 19.
Official Hockey Day apparel, including sweatshirts, hats and commemorative pucks will be on sale adjacent to the outdoor rink at Lake George and in a heated tent at nearby Eastman Park.
12. After things wrap up in St. Cloud, the action moves to St. Paul as the Wild takes the ice.
Saturday's game will be the second time the Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning clash this season. On
Dec. 23
, the teams played a hard-fought battle in Tampa, though the floodgates opened in the last few minutes of the third period and saw the Lightning come out on top.
The Wild will look to turn things around as it gains home-ice advantage. Not only has it gone 12-1-2 at home since Nov. 14, but it has also posted an all-time record of 8-2-1 in Hockey Day games.
Over 185,000 Wild fans have attended Hockey Day games at Xcel Energy Center since it began in 2007.
Related:
- Hockey Day Minnesota broadcast details - St. Cloud's proud history takes center stage