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- Oh! NO!
You might concuss him!
- Yeah, I don't want.
Hold on, hold on, hold on.
Is your brain okay?
(background chatter)
- Bryce just got off concussion protocol, come on.
- This is crazy, this is-oh!
(hockey stick scraping across the ice)
- Just stay with it! Stay with it! At an angle.
Go Trenton go!
- Okay switch! Switch sides!
(puck smacking against the stick)
- That's better, now come here.
- You guys have earned a great opportunity on Saturday.
Don't wake up Sunday
thinking I blew an opportunity 'cause I
could've went harder or I could have tried more or I
could've given more for my team.
So you're going to give everything you got
for all the guys right here. All right.
We want Herman town. That's who we want.
That's who we got.
You guys ready for this?
Come on in.
Hey, "bears" on 3, 1, 2, 3.
- Bears!
(inspirational music plays)
- Enjoy every moment of this.
This is what you've worked for.
Your whole young adult lives. This is your dream.
This is what you wanted.
And it's all laid out for you to take it right now.
- Seen it all week. Sick of talking about it.
I'm proud of you, boys.
Love everybody in this locker room.
Go out there and just kick their asses, for you.
- Great atmosphere, great atmosphere.
There's nowhere else to be, right.
This is what I've been working for one game at a time.
Now it's all about the first period.
You know, you're the best team,
you need to play like it.
Okay. You need to play like it.
- I've been hearing it, slay the dragon.
Slay the dragon,
we'll go slay him together.
No one of you can slay him by yourself.
Go slay the dragons together. Let's get ready to go.
Come on.
(inspirational music swells)
(wolves howling)
(train whistle blows)
(wood clatters)
(oil frying)
- Why is everyone snowshoeing lately?
- Who else is snowshoeing?
- I've seen so many people snowshoeing.
Yeah. All over the place.
Haas you kind of came out that. Yeah, it's different.
- I haven't been here in ages.
- Here, Haas.
It's a little, it's oh God.
Well, the bread got a little...
We got enough bagels.
- Hey, thanks, man.
- That's what we got and the bread's a little squishy,
but you know, you were late.
- I appreciate it though. Thank you.
- Oh yeah.
Haas the twigs came in, check out these beauties.
- What kinds?
- Old 2.0s, but they're pro stock.
- They're pretty dope.
McDavid curve.
I don't know. Should I use them today or not?
I think it's got a fresh pop. So I got to use it.
- Yeah! If you're confident with them
then use them.
- I've used them before,
- It's not like you're going to be bad with them.
It's not a possibility, so.
- Thank you, Haas.
That was clever.
- For what?
- It was right there.
- Oh!
- That's where I got hit.
I got hit right there.
- Crushed.
I was turning left, come right here.
I was turning on this road and
someone came through the intersection,
smoked me.
And their car ended up in the ditch down in there.
- All right, it is our first-last game.
That's crazy to think about dude.
- It's scary, man.
Like we got one year left.
(inquisitive music plays)
- We're in mining country and these communities were created
because that's where the mines were.
- [Aaron] Well, Eveleth is still a mining town.
It's just,
there's not as many mining jobs as there used to be.
It's a hard feeling to know that, you know,
this whole place was built for one way of life.
And that way of life is changing.
- [Noel] Today,
even if you've put all of the Eveleth-Gilbert kids together
and the Virginia kids together,
which has maybe 215 kids a grade.
Virginia alone in 1970 had over 300 kids
per graduating class.
- [Aaron] Well, Eveleth is the home of the big stick.
It's home of the U.S. hockey hall of fame.
And how did those big things end up here in this town,
in the middle of nowhere in Northern Minnesota?
The answer is because, at one point,
the best hockey in America was played here.
- [Announcer 1 ] So as we take
a closer look at 6, at 7:00 AM looking right at the
Eveleth-Gilbert Golden Bears.
I see this team as somebody who could
make a lot of noise this year.
- [Announcer 2] And they're a team that comes back with
15 returning seniors this season,
they got a lot going for them.
Eveleth, you know,
they've got that rich, storied hockey tradition.
Really known as the home of hockey
here in the state of hockey.
- [Announcer 1 ] And how many
more seasons, as a, as a Gilbert
do they have left?
We know about the consolidation talks with the rival school,
Virginia. We know about all those seniors.
You look at Will Trout wine.
You look at Elliot Van Orsdel.
Can they break the playoff drought?
This team hasn't won a play-off game in over a decade.
- [Jeff] The forwards have to be a little more intense
as you're going down on your two on one.
'Cause you can't slow play it now.
'Cause you got a back checker.
We have a very good offensive player
in Elliot Van Orsdel.
He was our leading scorer last year.
He can see things on the rink that other guys can't see.
Plus he brings a lot of energy.
Sometimes that energy needs to be reined in a little bit,
but he's, he's a very good, very good offensive player.
- [Elliot] You know, it's so scary moving forward
and I, you know, it's,
we're not going to have the Eveleth team anymore.
So this might be the,
one of the last teams that people remember.
- [Will] Yeah, that's pretty special.
To be one of the last players
to wear a Golden Bear Jersey,
I guess we should just strive to
have the best possible team that we can.
- There's a lot of history here.
And I think there's no reason we can't make some more.
- [Newscasters] The name,
- [Newscasters] Blake Biondi,
- [Newscasters] Blake Biondi.
- [Newscasters] Is probably one you've heard before,
especially if you're a high school hockey fan
in the state of Minnesota,
Blake is returning for his senior season where a lot of guys
in his situation would have maybe gone straight to Juniors.
But as head coach, Pat Andrews says, "if you know Blake,
it isn't surprising that he made the choice to come back."
- [Pat] I think our entire sports landscapes
change, every sport.
It's much more about the individual,
less about what's great for the community.
There are not many kids that would do what he's doing to
give up playing in the National Development Team two, twice.
He's told them no twice. You know?
So Blake's decision to stay in high school,
I think is the exception to what used to be the norm.
- Hi!
- Hey buddy.
- Blake, where's your stall.
- You know where my stall is.
You come down there every time.
- Oh yeah, right... here.
- Why you've got all the broken sticks?
- This guy, that guy gave it to me.
- Oh that guy?
- His name's Jack,
- His name's Jack, not that guy.
- He doesn't care.
- Have you broke a stick yet?
- Uh, no.
- Do you want to?
- Nope.
- I'm gonna play in the NHL.
'Cause you know, I love the game. I love it.
I love it so much that I'm going to find a way.
And um, especially growing up here,
like, to shows, like, there's guys that have done it.
Like if, if Neil Pionk can do it and Sandberg can do it.
Like I'm going to do it too.
Like I want it, I want it just as bad as them.
And that's the goal obviously, to get drafted,
and go as high as you can.
So like I love the game and,
and that's what I want to do.
I don't wanna do anything else. I'm obsessed with it.
(truck revving)
- In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
amen. Bless us, oh Lord, and these our gifts which
we are about to receive from the bounty of Christ,
our Lord, amen.
- I will say going into this season,
I've never thought more about what to do different or how to
try to make a season better then I have that pressure of
that feeling that every single morning I woke up,
the first thing I thought about,
which is pathetic on me probably.
But the first thing you should think about is probably your
children and your wife and their health,
and be thankful that, to God that everybody's healthy and,
and right. Like I am going into this season.
It's yeah, I feel pressure.
Absolutely.
Gonna come off the half wall, I want you to send it back
to the half wall, right.
- [Bob] Herman town is a community on the grow.
Lots of people are moving here.
What we've done well with our male and female sports and
and we're vigil-,
we're proud of our student athletes and the coaches
and the community is just continuing to grow in those meaningful ways.
- You know, at some point back in, back in the nineties,
you know, Eveleth and Herman town crossed in the night,
as, as,
as Herman town was on its way up
and Eveleth was on its way down.
- [Bob] There are some,
who'll get tired of losing to Herman town.
You know, you're going to run into that.
Success, often times has its detractors.
- The range schools are getting tired of it.
It's just a murder almost every year.
Herman town always, always wins.
You know, they're always tough.
They're never out of it.
- Three is our net front presence.
We have to have a net front presence. Okay?
If we want to revert sides, we run this puck.
Everything with face-offs is just
man up and do your job.
All that matters in that moment is that puck and your guy.
- How many guys worked out this summer?
Coaches here. Raise your hand.
Everybody.
Everybody? Good.
All right.
Did you, did you lift, did you skate, did that stuff?
How many of you spent time working on your mental health?
You can't be the best hockey player you can.
If you have a separated shoulder, a bad knee,
if you don't get that stuff repaired, well, guess what?
Can't be the best hockey player you can.
If you don't take care of this, either go to your phones,
go to settings.
What you look at is your screen time for social media,
whatever that is these days.
Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Tik Tok, whatever's going on,
I don't know. That stuff.
- You got it.
If you spend more than four hours a day on that,
- tik tok
- Listen,
Four hours a day.
You're at a higher risk for depression.
Is what we're seeing now,
coach didn't have to have me come in here.
I know the program that's been run here at Herman town.
You are some of the best hockey players in the state,
which puts you at some of the best hockey players in the country.
And that's great.
Okay. But to your coaching staff,
you're more than just hockey players.
- Figure out how to make the rice.
- Turn it sideways.
- And I need probably...
(dog panting)
- Sit.
- I was a hockey player.
So I suggested when they were, you know,
four or so, you know, Hey, you guys should,
we should let them play hockey.
"No, no, no, no, no.
They're not playing hockey."
And then they met Blake Biondi and Ryan Dobbs.
He met him in kindergarten and he came home and said,
"I want to play hockey."
And the next day there's a whole pile of equipment on the floor.
She went and bought 'em.
Mrs. "I'm not gonna allow him to play." Yeah.
So I was like, Hmm.
And then of course his little brother was like,
"I want to play too."
So he got some and he was four at the time.
And so yeah. That's how it started.
- When we first had kids,
he would work day shifts and I would work night shifts so
that one of us was always with them,
we just decided that that's how we wanted to raise them
was no daycare. We didn't want to miss out on anything.
So that's kind of how our schedule still works today.
And I think there's been times where it kind of sucks
that we're not together more, but in two more years,
we'll start dating again.
(laughing)
What do you think about this? This first game?
- I don't know, I don't know.
Are you ready? Are you excited?
Are you nervous?
- I don't see a challenge in it.
- What?
- It's Eveleth, come on.
- I'd like to introduce you to Aydyn, he's confident.
- It's Eveleth.
- There's gotta be some butterflies though.
When you get your skates on.
- I mean, yeah, it's the first game,
but I don't know. It's Eveleth.
- [Announcer 1 ] Welcome to another year of high school
hockey here in northern Minnesota.
- [Announcer 2] That's right, Brian.
It's an exciting time of year. The rinks are being flooded.
The kids are back out there. Skating.
What better way to get things going
this hockey season then with a section 7A
match up with the old Iron Range stalwart,
the Eveleth-Gilbert Golden Bears
and the top-ranked Herman town Hawks.
- Last season is over.
You've been waiting for this moment since February 28th or
at least I have. I asked you this summer,
who's ready to come on a journey.
That journey starts tonight.
- Gotta be willing to be second.
Good players are good players,
great players make other players better.
That's what being second is about.
It's about giving up yourself for your team
for your line mate.
- Seniors, this is your deal. It's your year.
It's your show. We here, will follow you to hell and back,
but this is on you. Okay?
You guys got to come together, live for this moment.
This is what you've been waiting for
since you were four years old.
- You only get so many opportunities and then they're gone.
This is one of those opportunities.
And it's nice that it's really early.
So what do you want to do with that opportunity?
Do you just want to show them that, hey,
they don't want to mess with us.
And come play-off time, they run into us.
It's going to be a,
it's going to be a fight.
(investigative music)
- Go hawks hey! Go hawks hey!
(music intensifies)
(crowd cheering)
- Yeah! Yeah!
- Guys, c'mon!
(coach yelling)
- Who the fuck do you think you are, huh?
- Your mouth. Stop or you won't play.
Do you understand me? It is not your show.
You are not respecting the name on your jersey right now.
You're running around like a bunch of prima Donna,
undisciplined, little pricks.
This is not the way you play.
And you know it, this is the only way they beat you.
You are not respecting this room.
You are not respecting this arena.
You are not respecting these fans.
You are undisciplined.
It will end.
We got fricking hanging lights and all this shit.
It doesn't mean anything.
What matters is here and representing yourself
in the right way.
- And I guarantee,
if you come out and you stand up to them right off the bat,
it's not a period they want to get into.
It's not a period they want to get into.
Stand up to the big, bad bullies out there
and work them into the ground.
- No reason they can't be outworked.
Let's go out there right now, and shut 'em down!
Let's go!
(tense music)
- Go, go, go!
- Yeah!
- Yeah! C'mon!
- Yeah baby!
- Way to go! You got 'em!
- He's rattled! He's rattled!
(crowd cheering)
(buzzer sounds)
- That was the real deal, what you just did there.
You got a 'W' in our own building and it was hard and they
made you earn every inch of it.
There's one way to play the game.
And it was like the third period.
And we will remind you of that.
Anytime you sway off the wrong path.
- Nothing to hang your heads about,
this is a stepping...
This is a stepping stone.
- Another first,
- We move forward.
All right.
It's a good battle boys.
We'll be better next time.
(sad, contemplative music)
(chatter)
- What you're going to I earn about over the course of the
semester are different groupings of moral theories.
Why is it considered morally permissible to wear brief
swimsuits in some cultures and immoral in others?
This is our operating list of wrong behaviors.
And throughout the semester,
we're going to reflect on that list of particular ones and
try to think about why that's wrong behaviors,
because that's what ethics does.
It looks at the arguments beneath our moral judgments about
what is right and what is wrong.
- Which country hosted the first Olympic games?
(snapping)
- Greece.
- Rome.
- Rome is not a country.
- I don't know what, Will has got this.
- Bangladesh is,
Bangladesh is located at the apex of which bay?
- [Will] Bay of Bengal.
- Yes.
- What? Will, how?
Seriously, that's a joke. I don't even know.
- Elliot might get this one.
What was the nickname given the mechanical sharks
created for the movie 'Jaws'?
- The mechanical shark. Oh, it was,
the mechanical shark? - Yes.
- I don't know. I mean, Jaws? Sure, Jaws.
- It's not Jaws!
(boys cheering)
- [Elliot] Will Trout wine has been my best friend
ever since I was little,
but I know what Will's thinking.
I can read him very well
because we've just spent so much time together.
And so I can put it out there.
I can be his voice. Same with like knowledgeable.
That kid is a genius.
Just like one of the smartest kids I've ever met,
but he's too shy sometimes, too scared to speak up.
So he'll come over to me
and say something that I can get it out
of my bud. It's just funny how something will happen.
He comes up to me. He's like these kids, they hit.
I'm like, dude, I know.
I'm like, I can't be the bad guy all the time.
I'm like, can you say something for once?
'Cause like, I don't care if everyone hates me.
Whatever. I speak the truth and
people don't like to hear the truth sometimes.
(calm music)
- [Will] Sometimes I'm thinking too much or
thinking too much to
like, keep talking about it.
I just think about what the right thing to say or like what
I need to say. And then I kind of,
sometimes I'm thinking too fast for what I have to say,
you know?
So like I kind of slow down or when I'm talking to think
about what I need to respond with or something instead of
just like firing all the words out.
I mean,
it's probably more thought,
but I keep thinking in my head about stuff when I say it.
I've always been pretty good at school.
I have my good grades. I'm smart.
And I do good on my tests. I mean.
That'll help with like getting into college
or if like teams are looking at me and say,
"oh, this guy is smart".
Like, and I'm like, if you're looking at me, another guy,
the other guy, his grades might not be as good.
Hockey, if I don't end up doing it,
like as a career for my whole life,
obviously being smart and like getting the good schoolwork,
that'll help out a lot.
So it's always been pretty important to me. I guess.
(crowd chattering)
- Nice going Elliot!
- You're a legend!
- We just got a talk between Shucker and Will there.
Just make sure we communicate so we can always
pick up that puck.
- No it's 'cause you are by the puck and you left it there.
- You want to take it every time?
- Yeah.
- Okay, go ahead.
Just skate it up!
- No, you can do some.
- Okay. Well, I can burn them every time.
- Fucking a! Fuck!
What is? What are they doing?
You can't do that purple.
I had the puck!
- C'mon.
- No way.
- You're back in.
- Oh!
- He cut you off, so.
- What?
- He cut you off.
- What am I supposed to do?
Brought it straight to the pine.
Come on.
- [Jeff] You know coaching Elliot has been one of the,
and I, I've told him this and I've wrote to him.
This has been one of the more challenging
things for us as coaches.
And when I, you know,
when I say challenging,
challenge us to be better coaches at times too,
just like I hope we challenged him to become a better player
and a better person.
(crowd cheering)
- I love it up here.
I wish there was more opportunities for kids up here to
stay. Other than going into mining.
Biggest goal for Elliot was to get him off the Range.
Cause up here when he's not playing hockey,
he gets in trouble.
There was a stretch there at the beginning of this year
where I was afraid when I picked my phone up and said
Elliot, 'cause it was like, "what's this going to be?"
And Elliot was a little lost in life.
And as a parent,
you're trying to help them figure it out.
But at the same time,
if they're scaring the hell out of you, you know,
are you in jail, are you beat up?
As a parent,
it's just hard to watch kids make choices like that.
And then how to,
how to guide them and hopefully keep them on the right path.
(inspiring music)
- I can't really play if I don't do this,
it loosens up my back a lot.
So my muscles are always really tight.
That's just, just how it works.
Get my muscles a little looser.
If I don't loosen them up,
my back will start to seize a little bit.
And I can't move my muscles.
So it's kind of an issue, a little bit.
I've had back pain for as long as I can remember,
just been like acute little pain
and then eventually it got
bad enough where I was in agony frequently.
I had opportunities with different Junior teams and looks
and stuff like that.
But it just, at the end of the day,
I didn't think I could put myself through the grind of
Juniors to try and make that college level.
Well, it, it sucks.
That was a dream of mine, but you know,
to play college hockey, but it just.
Ended the day, didn't,
it's not in my future.
I personally don't like sympathy for it. Like it's there.
I know it is. I go through pain every day.
I don't want people to feel bad for me.
I don't want people to think of me any differently.
Like I don't want to be the kid with back pain, like I am,
but I don't want to be known as that kid.
- Indie is just that classic hardworking kid.
Like he's a captain because of just pure hard work.
It has nothing to do with talent.
He works his ass off with what he has, his back's awful.
His back's gotten worse from his sophomore year to now.
I mean, his back has put a ceiling on his belt.
When the puck goes behind the net, he'll pick it up.
We always want a guy in front of the net.
You understand being mindful doesn't mean you're soft.
It doesn't mean you're nice.
It's just being mindful of where your emotions are taking
you and being able to calm your mind.
Here we go.
There was one summer there.
I did a lot of soul searching and like, is this worth it?
Is this truly worth it?
If I'm only doing this because I'm concerned about wins and
losses and the wins and losses can consume me,
then I can't do this because it's not worth it.
But if I can somehow reach kids and make it more than just
about wins and losses and try to have a positive influence
on their life and, and try to teach them the game.
So that allow them, the game to teach them and kind of a
bigger purpose, then it's worth it.
- Well, let's think about what happens
in your brain when you're in combat.
Getting an enormous amount of adrenaline
pumped through your system.
Young men will go to great lengths,
to have that experience.
The mortality rate for young men in society is six times
what it is for young women from violence and from accidents.
Just the stupid stuff that young men do.
Jumping off of things they shouldn't jump off of.
Statistically, you are safer as a teenage boy,
you would be safer in the fire department or the police
department in most American cities.
Than just walking around the streets of your hometown,
looking for something to do.
- I'd be so nice if he did my math or
I got a phone or I gave
him a suit jacket, I'd be so nice to him.
- Every time somebody asks me, oh, that's nice too Jack.
I said, yeah, it's my items.
So I dunno how that's my fault.
- I am the best driver.
- I go-no I am, 100%.
- Speed doesn't matter.
- I never got pulled over.
- You were literally about to say I go so fast.
- I do go so fast. I don't get pulled over.
I'm never. And why do you think that?
- Cause he just rolled the stop sign.
You're going to jail.
- Nope.
- Sorry. The laws don't abide by you.
You can just do whatever, I guess.
Cops probably look at you and go,
"oh that's Blake Biondi".
"We'll let him go 75 down a 30".
- Oh there's this, this,
one's got a sinker here about 12 inches up.
So that minnow will float up off the bottom
and walk 12 inches.
- It's fun out here. Yay. Woo.
- [Aydyn] It's too cold out here.
Too cold in Minnesota. On a scale of one to 10,
how cold are you? 10 being coldest.
- [Indio] Not cold at all.
- I'm about a two right now.
What the hell was that?
- Oh my, all right.
Time to pack up. Let's go.
(heavy breathing)
- [Indio] I gotta be at the rink at nine o'clock.
- We're not going to see you at all, though.
- No!
- Like for two days.
- You'll see me tomorrow in Brainerd
- I won't be in Brainerd, I'm working.
- Oh, then I won't see you until Christmas.
- You're not getting money to eat if you don't eat here.
- [Mark] Dude, just hold on.
- [Aydyn] I'm eating at Brooks.
- [Mark] No, you're not.
- Yes, I am, we ate last year.
- You're literally lying to me.
- [Lori] You can go.
So I have cancer and sometimes it affects life.
So I don't know. I just, it's been about,
about a year.
- [Mark] A little over a year and a half almost now.
- It really varies, a lot.
Like one day. She's good.
I mean, it can even vary like some,
like she'll be good in the morning and that night she'll be
horrible, but it's, it just kind of depends.
You just gotta go with what it seems.
- [Lori] I feel like you just said, "I love her a lot".
- I, I don't...
- [Lori] Is that what you said?
- Sure. Yeah.
- I also have MS.
So sometimes like my friends will know after the game I'm
exhausted. I can't walk down the steps by myself.
So they'll just be like, "Hey Lori, what's up"
and they'll grab my arm to help me down the stairs.
- Well, this is the, what?
The third different kind of chemo that she's tried in a year
and a half. So.
- My doctors at Mayo had said, "good luck...
(soft music)
(fire crackling)
- [Jessica] I mean, I was young mom. Right. You know, young.
So I, for my kids,
I would like for them to go out there and experience a lot
of different things, try different things,
make some mistakes and I'm looking forward for that to
happen with Elliot, you know,
I'm, for him to get out in the world,
figure out who he is and hopefully enjoy it. You know?
I hope he gets to travel some, I mean,
like I tell Christian I'm like there's a big giant world
out there at, beyond the Iron Range.
- When you graduate from your thing at the saw
you can put your app in at the mines
and just work there instead.
- I know.
That's what I said, I was like, well,
worse comes to worse I can always just, you know,
work at the mines.
Kidding.
- 19 years old and...
- I know. That's what I said.
I mean, that's how Derek is he's just loaded right now.
It's stupid, you know he's pulling...
- Full medical,
- That's everything seriously.
- Totally off my paycheck.
- Well,
- Oh here, put this stuff back.
- All right, okay, I will.
I swear to God, just the other day.
I was like looking at those, the red things that
just sit in the stand the whole time. I was like,
I could probably use one of these
to learn how to skate. There's like five of them.
I guarantee I used one of those things. I remember that.
- And then you kept falling and then
you would get up and you'd just fall again.
And I was like crying and laughing at the same time.
I'm like,
this is the most horrifying thing in the world to watch.
But you were stubborn. You were stubborn.
You were just not gonna,
- Everyone was just blowing by me.
I was embarrassed. - Oh yeah.
And that's what probably got you keep going up
because you were just pissed off about.
- Dad, did you ever go to the rink?
- That's all we had to do.
- So you went to, you're our rink rack.
- We had two options at my house in winter time,
- That's sick.
- Get outside or go to the rink.
Those were the two options.
- [Jessica] Those are both outside.
- Outside meant like play in the snow.
(boys chattering)
- You're just dumb for doing this.
- Dude, I didn't even see the road.
Gabe was in front of me.
Bunch of snow...
(laughing)
- You gotta, you gotta attach it to one of those circles.
Any one of them just don't burn yourself because that any of
those pipes are really hot.
- Yeah, Will, just be in reverse and go slow
like three miles an hour.
(boys laughing)
- This is great.
- Gabe! You almost cranked those things.
- Do I have class tomorrow? What day is it?
- No.
- Hey, what are you going to school for next year?
- Like marketing and entrepreneurship.
- Oh yeah, you gonna sell stuff?
- Well yeah, decide what to sell, basically.
- I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing next here.
I want to be...
I just want to play hockey still is a goal,
but I don't exactly know where yet, but after that,
I mean the end goal, obviously I'm going to go to school,
get a degree for something.
I don't really know quite yet.
I could be a policeman.
- I could not picture that.
- Or a sheriff or something.
That'd be sick.
- I could see you being like an engineer.
- Yeah.
I also was probably gonna go... Yeah.
That's what, that's what everyone's thought.
And that's what I was going to do. See,
like everyone says like engineer,
but I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to be
engineering. Like what does that even entitle?
- There's so many different types of engineering.
- Yeah, and do what it's like, where do I work?
I can't. Where, do I go down to my local engineer store?
And I get a job. I don't understand.
Could be the president or something.
- You could.
- Don't you gotta be 35?
- Yeah.
- That's so old. Why?
That surprises me.
I just don't know. I don't know what to do.
I haven't thought that far ahead.
(ambient nature music)
- I was just doing kids stuff and
I got caught in a situation I shouldn't have been
in my sophomore year.
Ended up getting like a suspension, but you know,
I've moved past it for sure. I definitely matured.
And I think it was a one thing is just being suspended from
the team. But it's that public embarrassment.
'Cause like, I think you,
everyone could tell up here everyone's so tight knit and
everyone knows everything.
So it spreads around pretty quick.
And for me going into my sophomore year and you know,
I had a lot of expectations and being out
some of it really sucked.
- [Jeff] Any coach can't put a player on the team in the
position of a captain, who's made some major mistakes,
that are not only public,
but against all hockey rules and all high school league
rules and all youth hockey rules. I mean,
it it's all against the rules. And if you're a coach,
you have to set the example and it is what it is.
- Everyone is aware of it.
But I guess coach didn't want a captain that has that.
That's had that in the past, which kinda sucks.
'Cause you know, you look at like, my points and like,
I'm not bragging or anything, but like stuff I've done,
I've done extra hockey and stuff.
And I definitely feel like I'm a captain,
you know, a leader of the team.
And I don't think I need an 'A' or a 'C' to display that,
but you know,
I was a little disappointed in not being able to have a
letter, but you know, it's whatever.
And I, I have to deal with the consequences that, that I,
you know, I caused.
(melancholy music)
(water spraying)
(ice scraping)
(kids chatter)
- And if we win this we're the same champions.
- [Announcer 1 ] From head to toe,
these nine-year-olds are decked out.
Best friends, Drew Sams and Blake Biondi,
know that to one day play in this rink.
They must eat, sleep, and breathe hockey starting now.
When asked how badly these two want to play on this rink
come the year 2018. When they're on varsity,
they say there's no measurement that would do their desire
justice.
- You could kind of reach around the world
and if your arms could fold around the world,
that's how much you'd want it.
- Hey guys!
Hey James, how are you?
- Can we get a team picture with you after?
- Sure yeah.
- Are you 70? I saw you score a lot yesterday.
- Thanks.
- Yeah, I saw you score a lot.
Yeah.
- Means a lot to these kids.
- Of course, oh yeah.
Yeah. Perfect.
Oh no. However many.
Hey buddy, your name Blake too?
Awesome!
(boys chattering)
- We've been watching you for four years.
- Perfect! Good!
- So I just came to get a picture of you too.
- Oh yeah, for sure.
Yeah. All right.
(bus beeping)
- What's your contact coach, I can?
Or where do you want me to send them to?
What am I doing now?
- [Mike Guentzel] Yeah. You can send them to me.
I'll give you my Coyotes' email address.
- Okay. Well, great.
It's great to meet you.
- Good luck today, take care.
[Hype Music]
- You guys don't even need any hype for this one,
big as it gets during the regular season. Let's go.
Have fun, let's go!
(crowd yelling)
- [Announcer 1 ] Welcome to another edition of
high school hockey and the
Greenway Raiders from Hodgins-Berardo Arena.
It takes one shot on Logan Wright.
He makes that save.
And then the rebound is stuffed in.
In the second goal for Biondi here.
Oh, he'll make a move.
One shot, top shelf, nice goal, Zach Kilen,
Herman town Hawks come to town,
the number two team in the state of Minnesota in
single 'A' and they take the Raiders to town with
an 8-3 win.
(country music fades in)
(boys chatter)
♪ See the darkest hour, right before the dawn. ♪
♪ They say the darkest hour, is right before the dawn. ♪
♪ You wouldn't know it by me. ♪
("Meet Me in the Morning" by Bob Dylan keeps playing)
- [Announcer 1 ] Pretty good front check here,
and Biondi, he scores!
- That's seven in a row! Let's keep it going.
♪ Well, you know, I'd even outrun the hound dog. ♪
- Are you here for lunch?
- No, no, I just had breakfast.
- Oh, okay.
- Go ahead. It's fine.
- It'll be Nick later.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Is there any sports yesterday?
- Sports section there.
What'd you guys do in Trivial Pursuit?
- Ah, I got $20 Wednesday.
So we won two of the rounds.
- Oh, okay.
- But we didn't get first place overall.
- Who did?
- I don't know. I didn't know who it was this time.
- Okay.
- So I think the teachers got second.
- Did you come in ahead of mom and dad?
- Yeah.
- Yeah. My mom, dad...
- Yeah, mom, dad, Sam.
Should I come back later for lunch too?
Yeah. Well when?
- Probably like 11:30 today.
- Okay. Well before next.
- Yeah.
All right, see you in a bit, yup.
- See you later!
- We'll start it out and I'll get,
I won't give you a hard one. We'll just,
you can go right there
and just try to get a quick shot off on it.
I mean a lot of the time, on shots,
it don't matter how hard it is.
I mean, it's true when you're the up close like this,
get a quick shot off right away,
surprise the goalie as well.
So around the corner, top, try going to get a shot on net.
There you go.
I mean, you probably have a stick handling ball,
they match is this. And then there's a little Velcro one,
goes on the end of your stick here.
And you can just work on, it just adds a little weight,
to the end your stick for your stick handling,
if you want to do something at home.
Yeah, but I don't use it anymore. It's all yours, man.
- Thanks.
- Yeah. No problem.
- Yeah. That's what, me and him we're on the same path.
Right now, we got to play Juniors
for a year or two maybe quarter.
- Me? Of course.
- Yeah.
- Every year.
- Sophomore and up.
- Who you guys playing?
- Tomorrow we play Greenway.
Yeah. Big game. Next week...
- Rematch.
- Huh? Yeah.
Rematch, that's right.
(inquisitive music)
- It's in our place tomorrow.
It's not in the piss palace over there.
It's here. This crap with Greenway is done tomorrow.
You guys have played them all the way through,
tomorrow night. It's done.
You take care of it.
You come out quiet. You come out hungry.
All right. Do you think all night,
"oh that's it with Greenway,
tomorrow's the night we kick their ass." Let's go.
(drum line plays)
- [Announcer 1 ] Welcome back to the Hippodrome,
just about ready to get this baby underway.
The Golden Bears and the Greenway Raiders.
It's fun to see these range rivalries renewed.
They're probably out there to take the drop
and use it against Elliot Van Orsdel.
That's the leading scorer.
He scored 35 points on the season and then another good
defense man is Will Trout wine.
The number two goal scorer for the Eveleth Golden Bears.
Troumbley all the way up the rink. Gernander in front.
Shot. Goal! Troumbley and Gernander!
- 15. Okay.
15, try to control and get a quick shot, boys.
(intense music)
- [Announcer 1 ] Comes in front. Another shot.
There is the goal and the goal should be Meyer.
And on the helper, Van Orsdel.
We've got two periods in the books from the Hippodrome.
And the Raiders 1, and the Golden Bears 1.
- [Jeff] How do we pick each other up in this locker room,
you work for one another, every shift.
Can't be scared to win.
Everybody else in this room better have the same mentality.
What about Bryce? He's feeling like crap.
He's going to go and work for you guys.
Go out and beat this team for once in your damn lives.
Come on, boys, let's go.
- [Announcer 1 ] He's going to take a second one.
That's a goal, on a slap shot from a terrible angle
and into the net.
- [Announcer 2] Keeps it in with his long reach.
Shoot that puck he does. Rebound. That's a goal!
Not even a minute later, that's behind the net.
Now a check by Ezra Carlson.
Beaudette moves in, that's a backhand.
Boy, that was quite a shock to get down
one in the net.
- [Announcer 1 ] Note how it shifted a little,
3-2 a hockey game.
- [Announcer 2] Drops it for Van Orsdel
right in the front of the net.
And there's one save. And then a rebound,
tapped in by the Golden Bears.
- Let's go! Let's go!
- [Announcer 1 ] And that ties this game up all of a sudden.
Holy moly from the Hippodrome.
- I'm proud of everybody on this team.
I love each and every one of you.
Go win it! All right.
"Bears" on 3, 1, 2, 3.
- Bears!
- [Announcer 1 ] The face out is going to be deep
in the Raiders' zone.
Van Orsdel in there against Ben Troumbley.
There's the goal!
Won by Eveleth!
And looks like Van Orsdel tipped it in.
14 from 40 and 5.
(celebratory cheering)
- First time ever.
First time ever, you guys finally got 'em.
- Nice job buddy!
- [Announcer 1 ] So there it is. Folks.
The Golden Bears win in overtime, 4-3, you're listening
on the 96.9 KMFY.
(inquisitive music)
- All right. You guys ready?
Let's do this.
(instrument clangs)
(keyboard typing)
- We're making highlights for you.
- Really?
- Yeah.
Like, I mean, you can see it.
It's just on huddle.
'Cause I have no other way of doing it anyways.
- That's what I do, I just watch all of 'em anyways.
- So I have one called Blake goals
and one called Blake play-making.
This is literally, I made this for,
Coach Guentzel wanted this.
So I got to go back through some film and look at some stuff.
And if there's anything you think of Blake that you want
included, by all means.
- Okay.
- Blake has not just a chance,
like a real chance of playing in the NHL.
He's that type of talent. So you have scouts and,
and advisers and people telling you,
"Well, if you do this, then this is the consequences.
If you do this, this could happen."
And so he's been living with that for three years now,
three and a half years.
Third period, in our building,
you gotta be better.
Okay? You gotta bring this home.
Dig down deep.
You got one period left.
We have a couple of days of just practice. We can, you know,
we, you have nothing to save this for.
You got to dig down deep and bring it home.
Just go. Stop doing the slowdown thing
and use your goddamn speed and body.
If you fight, everyone fights.
Finish a game! Win it, take it.
Everybody, simple, that was a simple, great rotation
we just didn't clear pucks.
And this guy's got, gotta be really watchful of this.
Cause they're coming back door on the zone entry.
D you gotta be a little tighter.
Forwards, you can be a little looser.
You gotta dig deep here.
Gotta dig deep. That's all this is.
Five seconds, three, two, one.
(buzzer sounds)
- I don't know, but they're clearly sick.
- Do you ever remember like bouts of flu
taking out an entire team,
the whole team, what the fuck is going on?
- No, I'm with you.
It's flu season and it's hockey season.
And it goes hand in hand.
Every year, you have sicknesses and you have injuries.
And it's not a matter of if, it's just a matter of who and when.
It is a grind, they really don't have a day off.
They get Sunday off and that's it.
And we go hard for an hour and a half to two hours every day.
It's short, but it's intense.
We had it pretty easy for about a month.
We were the better team in every game and we out played
everybody and it was fun.
And we got confidence and you were playing great hockey.
And now we have some adversity. Okay, you're sick.
And we got some third period disasters that still haven't
even turned into losses. Those are places to build on,
but how are you going to handle it?
- I didn't realize so many people worked here.
I saw Mr. Wicklin yesterday.
He came in to workout.
- Am I supposed to know who that is?
- He's the guy I told you about that.
- The Marshall coach.
- Okay. Got it.
- So I was trying to convince him that he needs to quit his
current job and come hang out with you guys. Okay.
So I have to get back to the Y and then I had the hockey
meeting tonight. So I'll see you at home.
- I'll be in bed.
- Thanks for helping with pizzas.
- Yeah.
I finally went to the specialist and he diagnosed me.
So I have kyphosis and scoliosis.
So kyphosis is like the hunchback look and scoliosis
is the 'S'-like kinda look in your spine.
So basically it was the two extremes that my spine could be.
But basically there's nothing I can do about it unless I
want to fuse my spine together,
which would mean no physical activity,
basically for the rest of my life.
I wouldn't be able to move my back at all.
So that's not really an option.
So basically I just deal with the pain.
(inquisitive music)
- [Jeff] Here's the test.
Here's the expectation.
Go and beat them. You can top out at that two seed.
That should be your expectation right there.
Two seed. I can't remember the last time
Eveleth Gilbert was a two seed.
That should be your expectation.
- Seriously, there's no reason we can't come back.
Guys, we got the fucking two seed right here.
It's two goals, we've done it before we can do it again.
(intense music)
- They ran into each other.
(whistle blows)
- We ran into each other, he literally moved out of the way!
(music swells)
- Shoot it!
- Good job.
Good job. Good job.
Okay. I hope your brothers are okay.
- Thank you.
- Things started turning around and seeing the momentum.
- You could see shift after shift.
Guys just grinding.
Who did you want to talk to you?
You want to talk to the brothers or
you want to talk to Will and Elliot?
- I'll talk to Will and Elliot.
- All right. You want them both at the same time?
- Yeah.
- I'm proud of the way we battle back.
Three. Nothing.
We could have folded up the tents and went home.
You didn't. Five minute penalty.
You could have just sat back. Let him score.
4-2 game eh,
but you didn't, you battled,
you battled right to the end and that's to be proud of.
Okay. We want to win every one, but hey,
that's something to be proud of.
That's something to take forward.
All right.
I'm proud of you guys tonight. Love y'all.
(music plays quietly)
(phone rings)
- He might still be sleeping.
He probably still is sleeping.
- I'm sorry. The person you were trying to...
- What's going on here?
- Nothing much. Just making some sandwiches.
- How long were you and Dylan out yesterday?
- I was up till seven.
So I'm trying to get myself together.
I'm going to call Dylan.
- You need to get new skates or something.
- Yeah. He needs new skates because he wants to go to the rink and stuff.
- No way those fit.
- I bet they will.
- Shut up.
- Which ones are they?
- X.
- Oh, those are a good skates Dylan.
- $99 at least, that's a hundred bucks.
- Yeah. Perfect.
Get them home molded.
There you go.
(metal grinding sounds)
- Yeah. My hip, doing that to my hip,
and it's just been killing me the past few days
and I can't skate and I might have a tear
in my shoulder too. It's just hard to shoot the puck.
- How'd that chiropractor thing go?
- I didn't end up going.
'Cause they couldn't get me until Monday.
So I'm going to go to the chiropractor,
hopefully I can do something from there,
but on Monday I got an appointment, man.
So.
- That may be a good idea to put gloves on or something.
- Aydyn's got gloves on.
- Oh good job.
- I don't know where you found those, but.
- Show off!
Indio, don't hit those people.
-Nope, I win.
- I think you splashed down a little, but...
- Yeah I got stuck in there.
- That's good though.
(music plays from a house speaker)
- I hate that door.
I had a side effect from the chemo
and I had some cysts and abscesses that needed to be drained.
And I thought it was going to be super easy,
in and out done.
And it was not.
I thought I was coming home.
Like surgery was going to take a half an hour and I was on
my way home.
I woke up in a hospital bed. I had been admitted.
And I wasn't, it wasn't prepared for that
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
I miss six shifts in four days.
So three, three of those four days I was doubling, but
I couldn't go anywhere.
Nope. My body just says "stay home, that's enough".
And all three of my boys forget that,
sometimes it sucks.
Then sometimes I need help.
Then sometimes I just want to cry
and sometimes I just wanna be normal.
I just want to be a normal person,
vivacious Lori.
So. Today is better.
(somber music)
- Probably not going to get better.
Just that's how the disease works.
I try not to worry about it a lot just because
there's ultimately, there's nothing I can do,
but it's something that's there.
It's something that's in the back of my mind.
I'm concerned about, I, I want a way to fix it,
but ultimately I have to accept the fact that there's not.
(chatter)
- 44 and 6, but I have two boys.
Okay.
All right. And then let's see 1, 2, 3.
I don't know, somehow.
- [Announcer 1 ] For Indio Dowd, Lori Dowd.
(cheering)
- Aw!
- [Announcer 2] Big round of applause!
Your captain, number 27, Blake Biondi.
(cheering)
- [Announcer 2] Defense, number 44, Indio Dowd!
(cheering)
- Hi pumpkin!
I love you!
(Dowds laughing)
- I need some Advil.
- Let's get a shot in front of the blue line.
Do you have Advil?
- Yeah I got one.
- One, two, Hawks rock!
(cheering)
(band plays)
(Low by Flo Rida plays)
(Like a G-6 by Dev plays)
(Perfect by Ed Sheeran plays)
(melancholy music fades in)
- This is what you played for.
Playoffs. Senior year.
In front of a packed house.
Tonight, you play for each other.
Go out, you play hard, physical.
You come out on top. You earn a ticket to AMSOIL.
When we look at the start of the season, going to win that
IRC, we were right there.
Next goal. Get to AMSOIL.
Next goal past that is to move on,
get into that championship game. Next goal
past that get to a state tournament.
I'm so jacked up right now.
I wish I had a little bit of eligibility.
One shift just to get you guys going.
I'm juiced up boys. Are you juiced up?
Are you juiced up? Let's go!
(The National Anthem plays)
(intense dark music plays)
- Enjoy this one, but your focus is on Herman town.
That's what we wanted. Semi-finals championship game.
It doesn't matter. That's who you wanted.
Right?
Couple of things, we give out pucks. Not that often.
I got two pucks.
First of all, Elliott won the IRC scoring title.
- Yeah! (boys clapping)
- 50 points, something we haven't seen in a while
from this squad.
Very nice job.
And tonight I think it was announced.
This is the hundred career point puck.
What a night to get it on. Congratulations.
(boys cheering)
(band plays)
- Will is an actively involved member and knowledgeable
and has been known to never miss a practice.
Will plans for after graduation, to try out in hockey
for juniors, and hopes to play in college.
(cheering)
- Congratulations to King Will Trout wine
and Queen Ashley Pionk they are our 2020...
(cheering)
(light music)
- And like we played,
and after the first day I played well and
Blake Biondi, he was the first one that actually like he's
like "atta boy"
'Cause like I just talked to him yesterday.
I sat next to him in the locker room, him and Joey.
And like, we just talked. And that weekend,
we were buddies or whatever,
but I hadn't really talked to him since,
but I just remember that was,
that was funny back then thinking he was so good
and like just
what he's turned into.
I don't like know him, you know?
Like we don't...
but he's also intimidating because you know,
he's like one of the best players in the country, you know?
So, from what I know from, he's a great guy.
Zach said I've talked to Zach. I just.
I like a lot of guys on that team.
(basketball dribbling)
(school chatter)
- See ya Blake.
- Hey, take a seat, buddy.
It's an awful call.
- They said no goal?
- Breck can actually shoot the puck,
unlike others for girls' teams.
- The chick just called that slap shot too.
- 6 is better.
No 17.17's way better.
- Isn't there a kid from St. Cloud Cathedral that's going-
- Jack Smith.
- Jack Smith, yep.
Isn't he going to UMD?
- Do you know him?
- Yeah.
- Okay. So have you played with him before?
- Yeah a lot.
- Okay. When did you play with him?
- In the summer.
- Okay. So then this, these are your 10.
You're always listed first.
- Because alphabetically, I'll take it though.
- [Announcer 1 ] In other high school hockey news,
Herman town standout Blake Biondi,
been named a finalist for the Mr. Hockey award
in Minnesota, Biondi is one of 10 players up for the award.
In 25 games this season,
the future Bulldog has 37 goals and 39 assists.
- Just doing all of them. Where's Aydyn?
- Home.
- Why?
- He's in bed.
(chatter)
- Future Mr. Mr. Hockey sticks.
- That's how you make your money.
Steal all of his sticks, make some money.
- And all four your sticks up.
(boys laughing)
Could you just sign a couple for me?
Can you sign a couple of them?
So I can just remember our time.
- You won't forget after you win state, buddy,
you don't forget that stuff.
- You'll forget about us.
- Why would I forget about you guys?
You're going to replace us with Cole Koepke and Quinn Olson.
- Yeah, that'd be very lucky, but no.
- Oh, very lucky.
It's gonna happen, so.
- Blake was officially named to top 10 finalists
for Mr.Hockey, which is pretty awesome.
(sticks banging)
- Our plan is to be there with him on the Sunday,
after the state tournament. Right?
So we'll all be there supporting him,
celebrate with him and hopefully he gets what he deserves.
But I know he doesn't really care about that.
Right?
It's all about taking care of business tomorrow and working
for our end goal. All right.
Going forward here,
play fast,
play free and have fun with this. Okay.
You need to enjoy this process. It goes fast,
but you got to get a body on the big kid, five. He will.
He's dangerous. He is.
He's a nice player. And 14, okay,
you gotta be mindful when you're on the ice against those
two guys, they are very nice players.
(bowling pins clatter)
- I'm struggling.
No big deal.
Three sport athlete.
- I'm confused.
- Are you like not doing that or?
- You still asked. I'm gonna go...
- I got one girl I'm kind of talking to.
So I dunno. Kind of see where that goes,
but so it kinda met her through a mutual friend who does,
they do cheer together because she's like on a competitive
cheer team.
She's kind of friends with my whole friend group.
So we'll all hang out then.
Or I'll go over to her house or something,
kind of just depends.
(somber music)
(laughing)
- Two fucking days.
- You have two days left to prepare for a team and we got
maybe five guys taking it serious.
You guys have earned a great opportunity on Saturday.
Don't wake up Sunday thinking I blew an opportunity 'cause I
could have went harder or I could have tried more or I could
have given more for my team.
Get focused right now.
You're going to give everything you got for all the guys
right here. All right.
We want Herman town. That's who we want.
That's who we got.
You guys ready for this?
Come on in.
Hey, "Bears" on 3, 1, 2, 3!
- Bears!
- They're just kids. There's no reason boys.
Telling ya, they're fucking worried.
- 30 Seconds. Get your head right.
Here we are. Another game.
Just another game, doing our thing.
- All I've been hearing is slay the dragon,
slay the dragon.
No one of you can slay him by yourself.
Go slay the dragon together. Let's get ready to go.
Come on.
- [Announcer 1 ] And good evening,
Welcome to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth.
It is semi-finals Saturday.
The Golden Bears are riding high from their first playoff
victory in 18 years,
they'll face number one seed Herman town, tonight.
It could certainly be an emotional evening.
As you know Eveleth was the first state champion
all the way back in 1945.
And this could be the last time ever,
we see the old Golden Bear sweater out on the ice.
(intense upbeat music)
- Golden opportunity in the offensive zone for Herman town,
it was key, getting an opportunity for it.
- Gotta wake up a little bit, boys!
- [Announcer 1 ] Now it's Aydyn Dowd,
Aydyn Dowd runs up the spot, he scores!
Hello! Herman town makes the early imprint on this game.
It's one to nothing, Hawks.
- Keep it simple all game.
Outs and ins boys.
Come on now.
(crowd yelling)
- [Announcer 1 ] Meanwhile, Noah Shuck is being peppered,
and this one's gonna go in the net!
On the rebound, the Hawks will score.
- Oh shit, I fucking said that!
- There's the onslaught.
Let it go from there. Come on.
Fight 'em, battle 'em.
Don't lay down to these guys, come on.
- [Announcer 1 ] It's two to nothing Herman town.
They have all seven shots in this hockey game.
- [Announcer 2] Yeah, it's been all Herman town
from the get go on this one though.
When this one started, Eveleth,
obviously trying to find some way to battle back,
but the more and more it keeps going this way is definitely
shaping out for the Herman town Hawks.
(buzzer sounds)
- Herman town came out on a mission tonight.
As soon as that puck was dropped,
they came out wanting to take control of this game,
not give Eveleth any really chance to feel like they were
really into this game.
(melancholy music)
- Bloomdahl over the blue line.
With three seconds to go, two, one, here comes your horn.
And with that, comes the end of Eveleth-Gilbert's season.
(music grows more somber)
(recorded cheering)
- [Announcer 1 ] Last Tuesday night, Herman town's
Pat Andrews experienced the thrill of a lifetime.
His goal with 21 seconds remaining, gave the Hawks to
a four three win over arch rival Proctor for the section two hockey title.
- I dreamed of this moment since I was four years old
on the driveway, scoring the game winning goal,
and I did it!
It's the most unbelievable feeling in my life!
- Two and a half years ago, Pat lost his father,
Pat Sr. to lung cancer.
His father coached Pat through youth hockey and the two
often spoke about one day winning a big game like this.
- I found I was on ice and I was like crying
and I was happy.
I mean, there was like tears of joy,
but yet it was also two sentence because it was,
we had dreamed about this. We, it wasn't just me.
I mean, it was like a family,
but me and my dad in particular, it was the greatest moment.
But yet you wished that he could be there to share it with you.
- That experience of going through that and having that
support system and seeing these very influential people in my life,
teachers and coaches who kind of helped me through that
is really what solidified in my mind that I wanted to teach and coach
just cause I don't know where I'd be without those people.
When I was growing up,
I just wanted to be a part of a hockey community.
Like I was just like in awe of War road
and even the Iron Range at that time,
where you just have this like ingrained sense
of hockey culture and we did not have that.
So they were, my senior year we were the second team ever
to go to state.
And I just remember coming back saying "one day,
I hope that you know, people think of Herman town,
they think of hockey".
Well, I mean, my Lord that's become,
I mean, that is what people think of
when they think of Herman town.
- [Announcer 1 ] And good evening, I a dies and gentlemen,
welcome to AMSOIL Arena in Duluth.
It's time for the best of the best in terms of hockey games
in section 7A.
This is for the trip to the state tournament,
it's Herman town, it's Duluth Denfeld.
This is going to be fun.
- [Announcer 2] It's going to be a lot of fun.
It's the number one seat against the number two seat.
So when they drew everything up,
this is how they thought it might play out.
These two teams are gonna be flying.
- Biondi back behind, as he centers for
can he gonna get it in?
Yes they do!
Chocked a goal! Herman town's on the board.
- Meanwhile, Aydyn Dowd is perfectly positioned,
he's got a two-in-one, he goes top shelf on his own
and scores!
Two to nothing, Hawks, Aydyn Dowd has done it again.
- Drew Sams backing Lucia's trying to-
and he does! Jackson Lucia, and it's five to nothing.
Meanwhile, here comes Blake Biondi, a shot and a goal!
Blake Biondi with a near wing rush sneaks it by
Jacob Schneider, it's a half dozen for Herman town.
(buzzer sounds)
- Yeah, this is unbelievable.
Like I came back for this reason.
I wanted to win a state championship with these guys and we
got three games to do it here and we're not done.
We're not done, but we're here to win a state championship.
We made that super clear and that's what we're going to do.
(chill music plays)
- I wonder if we have an ice dam outside, right there?
- It's because that ice buildup,
- Is there a bad ice build up up there?
- I told you there was.
- Oh shit. Well that sucks.
- Yeah.
- Wild play tonight.
- Yeah.
I watched the Caps and the Pens play today at 12.
- Oh you're kidding.
- Goes four to three.
It was a sick game yeah.
- You know, you're just sad for them.
They, all the kids,
of course it's a game, has to have a winner and a loser,
you know, so pretty damn envious of the Hawks, you know,
their program and what they,
what they can pound out and what they can do and stuff like that.
So you're envious of that, you know,
and kinda wish your kid was a part of a team like that
in some ways I feel if I'm being honest.
And you see these kids down there have
so much more opportunity on some stuff.
I don't know if Elliot, well, you know,
I know he's trying to, but you know,
I don't know if he'll be seen by the right people or get
that chance the same opportunity or a chance, you know,
as maybe some kids down in Herman town,
because they're going to go down to state and they're known,
you know, they, you know,
they're known as this powerhouse school and stuff like that.
And you know, I would feel like any of us,
parents from a small town kind of feel that way
a little bit. You know.
- It's crazy how, when it comes to an end,
especially being a senior this year, I'm
just looking back at, looking back at the, the team.
'Cause I grew up with these guys, you know, and
it's been a long time coming
and it's tough to see it come to an end.
But hockey is a,
gave me more than anything I could ever ask for.
And the friends and the family and the opportunities that
I've gotten because of it.
I'll never forget about, and...
No, hockey's just,
it's been so good to me and I can't,
I can't express how passionate I am for the sport.
Yeah.
Oh God, sorry I...
Wow.
(calming, somber music)
- How many of you are pretty excited about tomorrow?
Okay. How many of you are a little nervous about tomorrow?
It's the young dogs. The eyes first.
Okay. Here's the deal.
And this is, I, I like this analogy.
I like this old story of an Indian boy, a young Brave,
going out on his first hunt.
And the night before the hunt, he couldn't sleep.
And the grandfather says, you have two wolves inside you.
And they're battling. And the boy says, okay.
And he goes, the one wolf is nervousness, fear, anxiety.
And the other wolf is excitement, energy positivity.
And they're doing a battle to the death right now inside you
and the boy says to them, well, grandfather,
how do I know which one wins? And do you know what he says?
Whichever wolf you feed, good energy.
Feed the positive wolf.
Feed the energy wolf.
Feed the excitement wolf.
(camera shutter clicks)
- [Announcer 1 ] Good morning and
welcome to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
It's the Herman town Hawks and
the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders.
- [Announcer 2] A lot riding on the team.
Both of these teams know what it takes to get to the state
championship game. Herman town's obviously been there before.
St. Cloud Cathedral is the defending class A state champion.
- [Announcer 1 ] And we are on the way
off the drop of the puck.
First control of the puck belongs to Blake Perbix
for St. Cloud Cathedral.
He really dumps it down deep into the Herman town end.
Herman town back to get it, try to run through the zone.
They will, they quickly get an offensive attack.
Ethan Lund with the shot, oh he hit the pole.
- Fast and physical, right.
Fast and physical. Let's go D!
- [Announcer 1 ] And again the Crusaders and Hawks meet
for the second time of the season.
Off the rebound, Herman town scores!
Working it down the ice quickly was Aydyn Dowd,
burying a rebound was Cole An cliff.
And it's one to nothing, Herman town.
(fast music)
- [Announcer 2] We talked about Herman town wanting
to be more physical in this game.
- [Announcer 1 ] Kilen, over the blue line, wanted to go back
to Lund that got deflected away,
but Joey Pierce supports, fires a wide.
Kilen on a rebound, Biondi-Biondi scores!
Kilen and Biondi just relentless on the rebound,
the poke it by and now two to nothing, Herman town.
- [Announcer 2] There's the horn. Wow.
What a flurry to end period one.
- [Announcer 1 ] So many opportunities here to end,
period one.
We get a little fisticuffs here at the whistle.
- Absolutely. We've got players sprawling throughout here.
Blake Biondi, thrown down. Ethan Lund, thrown down.
- This isn't good.
We gotta get all these flares off the ice.
Right now there's too many.
Both the teams kind of came out onto the ice at when
the horn went and we got players that all over right now.
- This was bound to happen.
They've been running 'em and running 'em. Right?
I know. I know.
I looked this way.
I didn't know that.
- [Announcer 1 ] St. Cloud Cathedral's got a small
village in the penalty box.
And now here comes Herman town's as well.
Five Crusaders in the box, three Herman town Hawks.
- [Announcer 2] Two minute power play for Herman town
to start this second period.
- [Announcer 1 ] And again, the Hawks already lead it two to nothing.
We're under way in period number two.
There's a quality rush by Jon Bell,
his shot is saved by back stick,
order on the rebound. He scores!
- Still with the puck, down deep,
perfect, perfect setters. He scores!
It's three to two.
- St. Cloud Cathedral on the board again!
Good sticking here by Joey Pierce.
Now he's on the way over his offensive blue line,
get a turning player, saved by a rebound, oh what a save,
oh they score!
But Joey Pierce stayed with it. He buries it.
It's four to two.
- We always talk about the two goal lead and hockey being
dangerous. I tell you what,
it never felt so good compared to one.
(calm uplifting music)
- We had a good gut check there, the boys took it serious.
And you know, sometimes we talk as a coaching staff,
like "are we too hard on them", like, you know,
we expect a lot and we go hard in practice.
And sometimes I think maybe we're burning them up a little bit,
but this is why they're a pretty driven group right now.
Like I slept great.
But then I woke up at like five, just wide awake and then
trying to go back to sleep for a little bit and all those
what if scenarios go through your head and you try to block it out.
Because we've been in this game before we were
the better team and you win by eight.
And we've been in this game before where these,
we've ended up in overtime.
See ya babe.
Is that everybody?
Enjoy every moment of this.
This is what you've worked for your whole young adult lives.
Since you were a little kid all the way up, right?
This is your dream. This is what you wanted.
And it's all laid out for you to take it right now.
(applause)
- Yeah. This is what it's all about.
This is what you played for all those hours of practice.
- Championship Saturday, Jim, goal tending will be big.
Both of these guys who've been playing well.
The starting goalies,
Herman town has got to find a way to get
to Ben Dardis, with Mahtomedi,
its first ever championship game.
Championship games are no stranger here for Herman town.
- I think the biggest story of today's game right now for
Herman town is the fact that Aydyn Dowd,
after he was assisted on a goal for Herman town,
he didn't come back in that game with an upper body injury.
- No, we can use his speed if you can't go.
One though, biggest thing is he's trying, he's trying to go.
- Hey, here we go boys! Let's have some fun.
(cheering)
- Blake Biondi is a marked man.
He's getting knocked down by three or four
Zephyrs again at the point. And once again with it,
his back, he deflects to the goal!
- JD Metz will get the assist looks like
Colin Hagstrom buried it, one nothing Mahtomedi.
- Listen. You've had that better of it now.
Right? You've got, it's little shit.
It's nothing fancy. Drive wide!
They want you to slow down and cuss and do those things
keep driving wide, keep pressuring their D.
- Hopefully on the Herman town side of things.
They didn't feel like that they got over that St. Cloud
Cathedral hurdle.
And then it was all gonna be downhill from there.
And just being able to coast to a state championship just by
showing up. 22 seconds here into this second period,
Mahtomedi is going to have their
fourth all back for this game.
- Yeah.
- How many times have we talked about
how big specialty teams
have red in this game?
And Mahtomedi is making it count with two power play goals.
- You took their big punch. We got a counter punch, now.
Just do your job and chip away at this.
Just worry about winning your match up. Win your shift.
- An cliff feeding the point, there's Drew Sams,
Sams fires towards the net, through traffic,
they score!
- That's a big goal and it could be a
momentum changer for the Hawks.
- We're starting to pick it up a little bit. So we'll see,
how bad that they want it in the third,
it's going to be a heck of a third period.
Listen. That was fine, but it wasn't great.
It wasn't. Hey, you have another goddamn gear.
Five on five, you kicked their ass but we also weren't quite just going.
It was there, but it wasn't there.
And it's a championship game.
You need to be great. Right?
Let's go!
- [Announcer 1 ] Who's going to be the hero today?
- [Announcer 2] We played two periods
are moving into the third
in a one goal game shots, 19 to seven.
They're not used to having only 19 during the third period
- [Pat] Always take control of the next play.
- Shot wide with the gloves... had to be ready for it.
How long can Mahtomedi, how long can they continue
holding this offensive charge of Herman town off
for another eight and a half minutes.
- That all Herman town here, but it stays two to one.
We passed the midway mark of the third period.
They're starting to get tired and Herman town and starting to
smell a little bit of blood in the water.
- Beautiful play by Pierce, Kilen right there, off the post.
And then it gets off, it sneaks out the back door.
- And of course we see Biondi right now. And hey,
it's three minutes left. We're going to see a lot of 27.
They'll give you a lot of Blake Biondi, everything he can
handle, he will be on the ice
these final three minutes.
- Shots on goal
this period 15 to one, in favor of Herman town,
23 minutes and 10 seconds between shots on goal for Mahtomedi.
They just bend and bend but do not break.
And the biggest one minute and 17 seconds of their lives
right now.
- Herman town with the puck, Biondi up high,
45 seconds here, for Mahtomedi to hold on
for a state championship.
- There's the shot, off the glove of Dardis, shot by Sams.
Right-side shot, rebound, Dardis missed the puck.
And oh!
- And this game is tied on a scramble around the net!
For the Herman town Hawks. Brand new game, tied at two.
- [Pat] You're the better team the
whole second half of that game, you owned that period.
Win the game! Go win the game!
- Incredible hockey game, state championship
come down to an overtime.
These are moments you dream about when
you're a kid, getting a chance to play in overtime for
the state championship, your high school, your best friends,
your buddies that you grew up with.
Getting it as Piper from Mahtomedi up to the line,
and now grabbing, taken out of the zone.
Tried to go back to a mess and he does connect with him.
And he scores! Mahtomedi! Colin Hagstrom. It's a yard sale!
And the Zephyrs have won their first ever title.
(somber music)
(chatter)
- How do you not get frustrated?
You aren't getting that many shots and they are kind of
packing it in down there.
- Yeah, I don't know, it was frustrating.
I don't know. I was just trying to get shots. Yeah.
- We pushed these guys really hard
to be the best they can be.
And it definitely wasn't for lack of effort today.
And to tie that thing up when I didn't know if we'd ever
get another goal on that kid. I mean,
he played out of his mind and, and what'd he say,
I don't know it was, our guys battled.
It was just, it wasn't meant to be.
- Coach, players thank you very much.
- Thanks.
- That finality of just being over and not be able to go to
the rink and hang out with these guys.
And they're such a big part of your life.
And then all of a sudden it's just,
they're gone and they're going to move on with their lives
and which is awesome. And that's what you want, but it's,
it's almost like you're letting your kid go away or
you know, or something.
So it's, it's pretty cool, but it's, it's, it's,
it's tough to not be able go to rink and see those
guys every day.
(quiet music)
I lied to you, didn't I?
And I said, we're going to win, sorry, kiddo.
- It was a good game though.
- Yeah.
- Wasn't it? I'm lucky.
(chatter)
- On behalf of the Minnesota All Sports Alliance,
I am pleased to announce the winner
of the 2020 Mr. Hockey Award is Blake Biondi.
(cheering)
- And obviously the boys, my family back there.
I love you all and without you guys, obviously,
I'm nothing. So thank you, thank you guys for
the best season of my life and I love you guys forever.
- And obviously the investment coming back my senior
year to play for Herman town and try and win a state championship.
And obviously we fell short but I have zero regrets.
I just love this family a lot, they're all my brothers
and it was the best year of my life.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
- See you bud.
- Oh my god, I love you man.
You deserve this so fucking much.
Nice job!
(inspirational music)