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New Mexico Hits The Ice In Minnesota

By Peter Odney, 12/11/17, 1:30PM CST

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Broadcasting mogul and St. Paul native Stanley Hubbard III teams with former Stillwater standout Phil Fox to give players unforgettable experience.


The New Mexico Ice Wolves hit the ice in St. Mary's Point for fun, games, and a little extra instruction with some of Minnesota hockey's finest.

Results Secondary To Improvement

Broadcasting mogul Stan Hubbard has an interesting reason for leaving Minnesota for New Mexico. 

“When people ask why’d you move there, I say for the hockey,” Hubbard said with a chuckle on Sunday afternoon. 

Hubbard, who grew up in the Stillwater area, returned to the east metro with his New Mexico Ice Wolves Peewee team to participate in the Lumberjack Cup, a trip he said was more about experiences than wins or losses. 

“This was just fun for all the kids,” Hubbard said. 

“The kids have all gotten to skate outside on open ice. We don’t get that opportunity in New Mexico.”

Hubbard is the CEO of cable network Reelz and is the grandson of Hubbard Broadcasting founder Stanley E. Hubbard and son of Stanley S. Hubbard, the current CEO and Chairman The family is a pioneer of radio and television broadcasting. 

Despite taking four losses over the weekend, “Coach Stan” said that steady improvement trumps a defeat. 

“I think what we’re most proud of is that we did get better every game,” Hubbard said. “We challenged the kids to keep playing and keep learning and keep getting better.”


"Coach Stan" stands behind the bench during the Ice Wolves' game against Little Falls on Sunday.

Another catalyst of the overwhelmingly positive coaching and playing philosophy is Phil Fox, a former Stillwater varsity standout and three-year captain at Northern Michigan, who is now a Bantam coach in the Ice Wolves’ organization and joined Hubbard on the Peewee bench for the weekend. 

“For these kids to come see (Minnesota hockey) firsthand, they start to understand and their level of play is brought up,” Fox said after Sunday’s game against the Little Falls Peewee A team.  

“We have a whole different team from Thursday to today.”

The Ice Wolves hit the Mall of America on their first day in Minnesota as most visiting teams do, and spent Friday morning at the St. Mary’s Point outdoor rink with a bevy of decorated guests. 

There was Dick Meredith, a U.S. Olympic silver medalist in 1956 and a gold-medal winner in 1960 with the men’s hockey team. There was former NHLer Scott Bjugstad, who fine-tuned the Ice Wolves’ southwestern shots. There was 1980 Olympic hero Buzz Schneider and his gold medal from the Miracle on Ice. The players also got a glimpse of Herb Brooks’ 1980 gold medal ring, one of several cherries on top of a decadent hockey sundae. 

Fox, who built the Bantam program from scratch starting in August into a regional Silver Stick, said that whether he’s been in Minnesota, Michigan, or New Mexico, the game invokes the same emotion among players. 

“The love of the game never changes wherever you go, it doesn’t matter what state,” Fox said.

“These kids love to play hockey.”   


A day with Minnesota hockey legends wouldn't be complete without a few autographed momentos.

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