The Minnesota Wild is putting together an impressive season, and more Minnesotans are getting into the sport and the team, partly thanks to a few Wild writers and the team's pride night.
In all, what started as a kind gesture, turned into 36 people getting to experience their first-ever Wild game at the Xcel.
Among those going to the game were Tracy Bui and her wife, Kacey. Tracy joined News Talk 830 WCCO's Vineeta Sawkar to discuss the experience.
On Tuesday, when the Wild faced the Philadelphia Flyers, the team was hosting its annual Pride Night, and writer Dan Myers tweeted out that he had two tickets for any fans who haven't been but wanted to go and celebrate hockey being for everyone.
Tracy reached out to Meyers, but the tickets had already been given away. But, Wild defenseman Jon Merrill decided he too wanted to give out some tickets and did just that for Tracy and her wife.
"To have teams specifically dedicate a night… it meant a lot because I never thought I would go to a hockey game," Tracy said.
Merrill and his Fiance Jess Molina partnered up to invite a number of fans to the game and shared with Wild.com that it means a lot to them.
"It was something that means a lot to Jess and myself, to be inclusive of everyone else, especially in the LGBTQ+ community," Merrill said. "We thought it'd be nice to bring a couple of families that are a part of that community to the game and whether they've experienced hockey or not, just to be inclusive of them and make them feel like they can come to a Wild game or a hockey game in general and feel welcome."
The NHL has held its pride nights around the league since 2016 as a way to promote that hockey is for everyone, no matter who you are. Tracy shared that she genuinely felt represented at the game and enjoyed seeing a sport make an effort to be inclusive.
"I would have never considered going to a hockey game. I didn't know there would be a pride night," Tracy said. "But that made me want to go, and I definitely want to go back. Like I enjoyed it. It was something I was missing out on that I didn't realize."
Tracy shared that while she and her wife don't plan on letting their kids play hockey — due to the concussions — she feels when teams make an effort as the Wild did, it makes her want to be a fan and invest in the team.
"All of these events, even if they seem unnecessary, sometimes do work to make people feel included and expand the fanbase," Tracy said.
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