Jay Richards

About two months ago when I was checking the hockey schedule for the preseason #1 ranked Roseau Rams, I penciled in the reservation system the dates for the Roseau/Warroad series. Yesterday I was checking out the Roseau website thinking the game was today but saw it had been changed to yesterday the ninth. I did some checking, rescheduled some things and decided to go. But first I wanted to make sure that tickets wouldn't be a problem. This game is huge. The New York times even did a article on it. So I tried calling the hockey board, the rink and sent a e-mail but no such luck. So I called the school and asked for the AD. He was on the phone so I talked to the secretary. I asked her if it would be any issue since we would be cutting it close. She said I don't think so but I wasn't convinced. She then said do you know anyone in Roseau.......I thought for a while and said "Yeah, I know you!!" she laughs and then I say, "can you buy me tickets" and she says, "well, I don't know" and then she says "well, actually I will be selling tickets" so I said "perfect, save me some tickets and I will bring you a couple quarts of pure maple syrup plus the price of the tickets". "Well, I suppose" she says. It was great. Called Jon's school, my dad was in town and got Jon and we drove three hours north and bit east.


Sharon is in the green jacket. Super nice lady. She e-mailed today after checking out the Maplelag website and wants to bring her family. Yes, our trip was business!!


Walking into the rink is just awesome. A certain energy hard to describe. Standing room only. People either are wearing a Roseau jacket, a Warroad jacket or a Polaris jacket. I saw one person using a cell phone. No one has to call anyone because everyone that lives in the town is at the game.
High school hockey doesn't get any better. Roseau looked really, really good. Very confident team, incredible puck movement, great understanding of the rink and those guys can fly. Aaron Ness was phenom. (going in for the shot above) Wow, what a player. He knows exactly what he wants to do with the puck and dictates the game when he is on the ice. His second shift he did and end to end. Incredible speed. What great exposure for Jon. Halfway through the first period Jon goes " man, I just want to play hockey"
Small town rink with state championship trophys, pictures of Olympic players, pro players and D1 players that all played at Roseau.......how inspiring for the younger kids coming up through the ranks.

We were right on the front. Two feet from the glass. Everything was just tight. We ran into a Maplelag guest who was at the game. He lives in Annandale. He said he has wanted to go to this game in 20 years. 10 miles south of Canada, didn't get home to 12:30.....it was all worth it.