The University of Minnesota men’s hockey program motto is “Pride on Ice,” but on Tuesday, the famed 3M Arena at Mariucci was better to use as a concrete slab. 

To the untrained eye, having the ice out at Dinkytown’s hockey castle may look like a gray canvas speckled with maroon carpet strips. But decorated with a little yellow rope and some black tape, the manicured cement provided a dodgeball court, Spike-Ball arena, and kickball field. 

NOW Combine participants spent more time away from the ice on Tuesday, hopefully enjoying the simplicity of games that don’t require skates, sticks, or a bucket of pucks. 

Gold-medalist Kelly Pannek dropped by with some words of wisdom for the Combiners, and her medals from Pyeongchang (gold, 2018) and Beijing (silver, 2022) served as a testament to her hard work and dedication to the game. 

Wednesday promises more activity and energy, plus temperatures reaching into the 90s, which sounds just about perfect for four sessions of Ultimate Football (always a crowd favorite) at Huntington Bank Stadium.