As junior Isaac Swartz sat on the bleachers at the newly developed ROC (Recreation Outdoor Center), he said he saw many kids filled with joy watching their favorite Minnesota Wild players practice up close.

“There were so many kids that showed up to watch the outdoor practice, and it was so clear to see how excited they were to be just a few feet away from their heroes,” Swartz said.

According to Minnesota Wild public relations manager Aaron Sickman, the outdoor practice is a tradition for the team.

“The outdoor practice is something we typically do once a year,” Sickman said. “It is one of our main ways to interact with fans on a personal level.

Sickman said the organization decided on holding the event in St. Louis Park because of the newly finished ROC.

“For the last few years we have practiced at Braemar’s outdoor facility in Edina, but this year we settled on the new ROC because of the greater opportunity for spectators,” Sickman said.

According to Sickman, the organization was impressed by the venue and will consider returning next winter.

“I don’t make the final decision about where to hold it, but we were definitely impressed by the facility and especially how many fans it was able to accomodate,” Sickman said.

After the practice, Swartz said Wild players spent a significant amount of time signing autographs and greeting kids.

“When the athletes got done playing, they took time to give autographs to kids who came to watch,” Swartz said. “Players spent a lot of time making sure most of the kids had something signed or had some sort of memento from it.”

According to Swartz, bearing the cold temperature was worth it in order to see the team play.

“It was definitely chilly, but for me it was so worth it,” Swartz said. “It’s so rare that you get an opportunity to see professional athletes play up close and interact with them.”

However, Swartz said he was surprised by the lack of fan engagement included in the practice.

“There was honestly not as much fan interaction as I had thought,” Swartz said. “They pretty much seemed to practice normally as if nobody was watching.”

Swartz said he believes the event is good for the city of St. Louis Park because it will help develop a positive hockey culture.

“I think this event is great for the community because it gets kids excited about hockey,” Swartz said. “By bringing them together and letting them see their NHL heroes in person so close up I think it will make kids more interested in playing hockey, and at the very least it makes kids happy.”

According to Swartz, he thinks it was a good decision for the city to build the ROC.

“If it is going to attract events such as the outdoor practice, I feel like it for sure was a good idea to construct the outdoor rink,” Schwartz said. “Also, it is extremely valuable to have up to date athletic facilities in order to make more kids healthy.