On Hockey Day Minnesota 2026, Minnesota Hockey announced Evelyn Stinson, a 10U player with the Chaska-Chanhassen Hockey Association, as the winner of the 2025–26 Minnesota Hockey Essay Contest, presented by 1919 Root Beer.
Evelyn was the winner of three standout finalists whose essays were featured on FanDuel Sports North (FSN) throughout Hockey Day Minnesota. She was joined by finalists Ada Simmonds, a 10U goaltender from Minnetonka, and Ashlynn Tourville, a 10U goaltender from the Northern Tier Stars. Finalists were selected by a review committee from essay submissions by boys and girls across the state, all centered on the theme, “A Time I Lifted Someone Up in Hockey…”