St. Paul, MN – October 14, 2015 – Minnesota Hockey, in partnership with Park Dental, announced today the topic for the 2015 Hockey Education Program (HEP) Essay Contest. Once again, Park Dental will be the presenting partner of the HEP Essay Contest, which is an annual tradition that encourages players to express their thoughts on what makes youth hockey in Minnesota a fun and positive environment.

All registered Minnesota Hockey participants are encouraged to enter the contest by completing the following: “Hockey teaches me about…”

The top three essays, as selected by the HEP Committee will be featured during the Fox Sports North broadcast of Hockey Day Minnesota on February 6, 2016. They will also be featured in Let’s Play Hockey magazine and have an opportunity to attend a Minnesota Wild home game this season. The contest winner will be randomly selected among the three finalists and will receive a “dream day” experience on a Minnesota Wild gameday during the 2016-17 season.

The mission of HEP is to ensure a positive athletic experience for youth hockey players by integrating a progressive approach to skill development with coaching excellence and accountability through Fair Play. The three components of HEP are Skill Development, Education and Accountability.

“Everyone that has played hockey in Minnesota has learned valuable life lessons,” said Steve Morse, HEP Committee Chair. “This year’s contest will allow kids to share how hockey has made a difference for them, and how they can make a difference through hockey. It’s a great way for our kids to spread positive messages that they’ve learned from their coaches, parents and teammates.”

The winner of the 2014 HEP Essay Contest was Allie Lemke, a 12U B player in the Long Prairie Hockey association. Allie will receive a Minnesota Wild gameday experience including ice time at Xcel Energy Center and a suite at the Wild’s game against Anaheim on October 24. Allie’s winning submission can be found here.  

Submissions will be accepted from October 14 through December 15. Original essays should be limited to 250 words or less, and should include the child’s name, hockey association, team/classification, address, phone number and email address. Submissions can be sent to: