Photos and video: 'Wild' night for North Shore and Duluth East youth hockey players

hockey mascot hypes crowd while skating with a flag — Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy hypes up the crowd while skating with a flag at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday ahead of the North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 boys game, which was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

By Dan Williamson

January 26, 2022 at 6:32 PM

Peewee B1 boys hockey players with Duluth East and North Shore were in for a surprise when they arrived to the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center for their game Tuesday night.

The Minnesota Wild selected the matchup as for their Youth Hockey Spotlight. The idea is to provide the players and fans with many of the elements from a National Hockey League game.

Team locker rooms were Wild-themed, as each player received custom jerseys, nameplates and other items. The Wild's public address announcer, national anthem singer and mascot added to the atmosphere while former Wild players Wes Walz and Stephane Veilleux served as celebrity coaches.

North Shore and Duluth East played to a 4-4 tie, with Duluth East winning a special shootout. The Wild also visited the area Jan. 30, 2018, when Hermantown hosted Proctor for a Bantam B game.

fans spread out to form a tunnel for hockey players to walk through — Fans spread out and form a tunnel with elevated hockey sticks for players from the North Shore Peewee B1 boys team to enter through in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The Minnesota Wild surprised the peewee players from North Shore and Duluth East, selecting them for their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

woman holds sign for hockey player son — DeeAnn Spoden, of Duluth, waits for the arrival of the Duluth East Peewee B1 boys hockey team while holding a sign for her son Carter Spoden, a defenseman on the team, in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 matchup was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game. Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

hockey jersey hanging in locker stall and special name plate — A special nameplate above the player stall for Noah Metzger of the North Shore Peewee B1 boys hockey team as seen Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center. The name plates were part of the surprise for the players as the North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 game was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

hockey players line up for national anthem — Players from the Duluth East, left, and North Shore, right, Peewee B1 teams line up on the blue lines while Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy stands at center ice for the national anthem at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The game was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Spotlight Game.

minnesota duluth head coach scott sandelin speaks into a microphone — Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin delivers the "Let’s Play Hockey" announcement ahead of the Minnesota Wild Youth Spotlight Game between the North Shore and Duluth East Peewee B1 boys hockey teams at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.

youth hockey players line up on the ice — Members of the Duluth East Peewee B1 boys hockey team line up for pregame introductions ahead of their game against the North Shore Peewee B1 boys at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The game was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

hockey team gathers around their bench and listens to coaches — Members of the North Shore Peewee B1 boys hockey team gather around their bench before their game against the Duluth East Peewee B1 boys at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The game was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game. Former Wild forward Stephane Veilleux, top left, served as a celebrity coach.

hockey coach stands on bench watching the game — Former Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux looks on from the bench of the North Shore Peewee B1 boys team at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Veilleux served as a celebrity coach for the game, which was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

hockey coach stands on bench — Former Minnesota Wild center and current television analyst Wes Walz looks on from the bench of the Duluth East Peewee B1 boys team at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Walz served as a celebrity coach for the game, which was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.

young girl looks up at sports team mascot — Maya Witty, 9, of Two Harbors, looks up at Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy while preparing to take a photo during the first intermission of the Duluth East vs North Shore Peewee B1 boys hockey game at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022.

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Duluth East Peewee B1 left wing Ian Gregory sits in his player stall below a special name plate provided by the Minnesota Wild at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The Minnesota Wild surprised the Duluth East and North Shore Peewee B1 teams by selecting them for their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

man holds up sign for youth hockey player

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Tommy Moerke of Duluth, holds up a sign for his step son Jack Prescott, a forward for the Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's hockey team, while waiting in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 matchup was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

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Player stalls for both the Duluth East and North Shore Peewee B1 boy's hockey teams were setup as Wild-themed with players receiving custom jerseys, name plates and other items as seen Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center. The Minnesota Wild surprised the teams by selecting the matchup as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

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Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin waits in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Sandelin made the "Let’s Play Hockey" announcement before the Minnesota Wild Youth Spotlight Game between the North Shore and Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's hockey teams.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

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Former Minnesota Wild center and current television analyst Wes Walz listens during a media interview in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Walz served as the celebrity coach for the Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's hockey team for their matchup with the North Shore Peewee B1 boy's team in the Minnesota Wild Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

former minnesota wild hockey player standing and smiling

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Former Minnesota Wild forward Stephane Veilleux smiles while standing in the lobby at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Veilleux served as the celebrity coach for the North Shore Peewee B1 boy's hockey team for their matchup with the Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's team in the Minnesota Wild Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

hockey mascot skates while carrying a flag

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Minnesota Wild mascot Nordy prepares to plant the "State of Hockey" flag at center ice at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 ahead of the North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

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Members of the Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's hockey team huddle up before their game against the North Shore Peewee B1 boy's at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The game was selected by the Minnesota Wild as their Youth Hockey Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

public address announcer watches hockey game

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Minnesota Wild public address announcer Adam Abrams looks on during the North Shore vs Duluth East Peewee B1 boy's hockey game at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Adams and other Wild personnel surprised the players and helped bring the Wild game experience to the arena as part of the Wild's Youth Spotlight Game.
Dan Williamson / Duluth News Tribune

By Dan Williamson

Dan Williamson joined the Duluth News Tribune in June 2021 where he's involved in digital content such as video, photos and podcasts. Previously, he worked in television broadcasting as a Sports Director/Anchor at WDIO-TV in Duluth, Sports Director/Anchor in Bismarck, N.D., News and Sports Anchor at KSAX-TV in Alexandria, and Reporter/Photographer/Editor with the syndicated show "Life to the Max" in Eden Prairie. He was also the Development Director for the Duluth Salvation Army. Williamson grew up in Alexandria, graduated from St. Cloud State University and has lived in Duluth since 2012.

Photos and video: 'Wild' night for North Shore and Duluth East youth hockey players

The Minnesota Wild brought a full production to the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center for local youth players to enjoy.