For decades, Minnesota's metro area has dominated hockey's summer scene in the state of Minnesota. The Minnesota Blades, Machine, Blue Army, Minnesota Lakers, Tommy Chicago, and the like have competed during the summer months in various tournaments at a consistent rate. 

In recent years, northern Minnesota hasn't enjoyed the same consistency or dedication to summer hockey as its suburban counterparts. Sure, you'd get the odd Lake Superior Stars team. If a tourney organizer were lucky, a Red Army squad would make its way south to Bloomington Ice Garden, the Eden Prairie Community Center, or the National Sports Center's Super Rink in Blaine. 

However, a little ingenuity and effort have paid dividends for two northern Minnesota AAA hockey programs, which have laid the groundwork for years to come. 

The Northern Wings and the Thieves 37's are two AAA programs catering to hockey players outside the metro area - sometimes, way outside the Twin Cities. 

"We attract kids from northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Ontario, and Manitoba," said Northern Wings President and 2012 Elite coach Matt Mathias. "We also are lucky because the Northern Wings have been around for a long time," Mathias continued. "Our program has had lots of success on and off the ice. I think that helps with bringing in the right kids to our program."

Mathias, a former Duluth East High School standout who played collegiately for the University of Alaska Anchorage and Minnesota Duluth, is not alone in his quest to bring competitive summer hockey to the northern masses. 

Travis Collins, a Thief River Falls resident, is the General Manager and owner of the Thieves 37's, an organization that traces its pre-World War II roots to the Thief River Thieves. The original Thieves began in 1937 as an Amateur Intermediate team in the States Dominion Hockey League (SDHL), a league operated in Northern Minnesota and in border towns in North Dakota and the Canadian province of Manitoba, according to the Thieves 37's' website. 

Collins says that his program's ultimate goal is to prepare players for the next step in their hockey journey and to foster an environment that creates good people as well. 

"Moving players on to the next level is always on the back of our mind, but we also realize we coach impressionable youth hockey players," Collins said. "Better humans, better hockey players is something we created with Thieves Hockey to remind us as coaches that we do make an impact on our players and in their lives," Collins added, referring to the organization's BH3P program. "Our belief in developing better humans to become better hockey players is very important to us."

Just as established AAA hockey powers seek unique competition and experiences in out-of-state tournaments, the Northern Wings and Thieves 37's do the same. Hockey in Minnesota northland is a flat circle, and players and coaches jump at the opportunity to play new teams in new venues. 

The Thieves competed in the North America Hockey Classic's top division in Winnipeg this summer and took on some of the Windy City's top summer clubs during the Rumble at the Rink tournament. 

"Our 2012's have proven their might against top teams like Little Caesars and Chicago Mission AAA teams," Collins said. The north ebbs and flows with talent, and every so often, you get a team in the north that everyone wants to play, and it's very special."

Mathias says that part of the draw for summer hockey is that talented players from opposing associations can actually play together for a change. 

The northern kids spend all winter (playing) against each other, and if you are from the north, the rivalries are still there," Mathias said. "During the winter, a Grand Rapids player will not associate with a Duluth East kid at all, but in the AAA season, they are best friends on and off the ice."

In August, both the Northern Wings and Thieves took home trophies during the annual AAA State Tournament in Bloomington, with the Wings capturing the Squirt Major division and the Thieves coming out on top in the Peewee Minor division.

The Warroad mantra of "it's fun to win" was echoed by Collins in reference to the Thieves' success in recent events, but both Collins and Mathias stress that winning comes second to the overall experience players, coaches, and parents have in their time with their respective programs.  

"I would like to think of the Thieves as a winning and learning program," Collins said. "The requirement isn't always about winning. Character builds winners, and we find the right character. We do our absolute best to give ourselves a winning chance. Winning is fun, but you can also learn from your losses and mistakes." 

For Mathias, the ultimate goal is for the Wings to leave a lasting, positive impression on all involved. 

"We hope that our kids and parents have lots of fun," Mathias said. "On the ice, we are trying to teach them to work hard, be good teammates,  move the puck & have good attitudes. Hopefully, each year, the kids and parents will create some great memories that they can reminisce about ten, fifteen years down the road."