Police in Duluth have arrested a 23-year-old man suspected of stealing over 30 hockey sticks from Mankato West High School boys’ hockey bus over the weekend.
Mankato West High School Hockey Coach Nate Olson recalled getting ready for the game against Anoka Saturday morning, unloading the bus.
"We kind of get everything settled in," says Olson, " and start looking for sticks and all of a sudden we're short a stick bag."
At first he figured someone had misplaced it, he never imagined that anyone would steal the sticks.
"You know I've been coaching for thirteen years at the high school level," says Olson, "one of our officials was a 37 year veteran and he had never seen anything like it."
They ended up calling the police in Duluth who located the suspect and arrested him, coach says the hockey community is tight and word spread quickly that they might need help with getting sticks to play.
"We've had immerse support thought the state, " says Olson, " the Minnesota wild have been in touch with us, a number of different coaches and programs across the state. A family in Esko started a Go Fund Me to help support us if we need it."
He told WCCO 's Jordana Green, the 23-year-old male suspect is facing charges of Felony Theft.