Valleyfair Hosts Hockey Day Minnesota 2025: A Four-Day Celebration of the State of Hockey

SHAKOPEE, Minn. — Hockey Day Minnesota 2025, the state’s annual celebration of hockey, kicked off Wednesday at Valleyfair amusement park in Shakopee. The four-day event features high school, youth, and college alumni games, drawing fans from across the state to the outdoor rink set up in the park’s parking lot.

The festivities began Wednesday afternoon with three high school games, followed by Girls’ Day on Thursday, featuring additional high school matchups. Friday’s schedule includes youth and college alumni games, while Saturday is an all-day hockey extravaganza. Parking opens at 2 p.m. Wednesday, 11 a.m. Friday, and 7:30 a.m. Saturday, with gates opening 30 minutes later.

“We’ve spent about four years getting ready for these four days,” said Erik Radtke, board vice chair for Hockey Day Minnesota. “When I said that we broke a hockey puck in half on the hockey rink in the middle of Valleyfair’s parking lot, that might be the most Minnesota sentence ever uttered.”

This year marks the 19th edition of Hockey Day Minnesota, which rotates locations annually. The event includes 11 high school games and 24 youth games, with the University of Minnesota Gophers hockey team also taking the ice. Fans can purchase one-day or four-day passes, with shuttle options available from Mystic Lake Casino and the Eden Prairie Southwest Transit Station.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships are underway at Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, celebrating its 20th anniversary. The tournament, led by Jody Delorit, attracts teams from across the globe, ranging from kids to players over 50. “Over all of these years, I’ve become friends with a lot of the players that come from around the country and around the globe,” Delorit said. “So, for me, it’s also like a reunion now!”

Valleyfair is offering access to select rides during Hockey Day Minnesota, including the Carousel, Antique Auto, Tilter, Scrambler, and Flying Eagle, with admission included in the hockey event ticket.