Minnesota Hockey is excited to reveal the finalists for the 2016 HEP Essay Contest, presented by Park Dental. Entries have been submitted by youth and girls players of all ages from around the state on the topic of “Hockey teaches me about…” Each of the finalists’ essays will be highlighted on Hockey Day Minnesota 2016, and the winner will be announced following the Minnesota Wild game.

The following finalists have been selected to be featured during the Fox Sports North broadcast of Hockey Day Minnesota 2016 on Saturday, February 6th:

• Grace Sadura, a 10U player from Minnetonka Youth Hockey Association
• Landon Hale, a Squirt player from St. Cloud Youth Hockey Association
• Kendra Distad, a 10U player from Burnsville Hockey Club

This season’s HEP Essays were a great reflection of the tremendous lessons hockey teaches our young players both on and off the ice. The list of potential life lessons is nearly endless including learning how to win and lose, experiencing the rewards of hard work, understanding the importance of sportsmanship and figuring out what it means to be good teammate, 

While the game we love is often the true teacher of these lessons, they are reinforced daily by our volunteer coaches who make a significant impact on players, as evidenced by the fantastic essays we received this year.

Tune in to Fox Sports North on Hockey Day Minnesota 2016 following the Minnesota Wild game to find out who the randomly selected winner will be.  The contest winner will receive a “dream day” experience on a Minnesota Wild game day during the 2016-17 season.