The 2017-18 MNL Season is finally here, but for the players and league managers, it might have come too quickly. With the addition of the Americans and Mighty Ducks as expansion teams, MNL debuted a new game time format. MNL now features two games at 10:00pm, with one game being played on NHL ice, and unfortunately the league did not seem ready for this change.
Previously, MNL boasted a carnival-like atmosphere in featuring a primetime 10:00pm game, where players in the 9:00pm game would fill the stands to watch a music-filled, intense clash of rivals. Gameday talk was almost centered around the 10:00pm game, with players excited to watch or play in the spotlight. Instead, players wishing to observe the opposing teams shuffled between both 10:00pm games, with little to no music being played in either game. Many snippets of, ‘From the parts I watched..’, ‘I only saw a little bit of your game..’ and ‘I didn’t see that, I was watching the other game’ echoed around the concourse, leaving one player a little disappointed. “It was a lot more fun when the game of the week was the big event,” said North Stars centre Chad Paulinski, prompting a few players behind him to roll their eyes. “He’s always whining,” said Nordiques GM Jeremy Drager. “I thought it was fun.”
Not having music or an atmosphere wasn’t the only issue of the new format. On the NHL-sized rink, the Stars-Diques warmup lasted around 15 minutes while the teams waited for referees and scorekeepers. Eventually the game was started with one referee, and with three minutes into the game, Seals GM Todd Otto came in to scorekeep and buzzed the horn to signal the start of the game, only to realize the game had already started. “I didn’t know the game started, I thought it was still warmups,” said Otto. “The game on the other side just started warmups!” North Stars GM Troy Otto was quoted as saying, “When it happens next time, just enjoy your extra sticks and pucks session.”
The extra sticks and pucks session must have helped, as the Stars overcame the Diques 3-1 on NHL ice. North Stars center Jack Serda opened the scoring for the Stars with a quick snapshot glove side on Nordiques goaltender Jimmy Howard. North Stars GM Tye Otto jammed home a rebound on the power play to pick up his first goal of the season, and the eventual game-winning goal. Nordiques first round pick Paul Biliti cut through the North Stars defense to score the Nordiques only goal. With under a minute to go, the North Stars survived a furious Nordique onslaught at the net, and North Stars forward Dan Ratliff scored an empty net goal to finish the game.
Not all of the atmosphere was doom and gloom for the 2017-18 MNL season opener, however. After the game, the players flooded Viking Ice Arena’s entrance to enjoy each other’s company, retaining the friendly atmosphere that became MNL’s signature. “It’s like a party out here – this is the real party, actually,” claimed Drager. “It’s awesome to play hockey and know just about everyone in the league, and then hang out afterwards, drink beer, and talk shop.” Many new player-of-the-game items were shown off, including a duck call for the Mighty Ducks, and a fireman’s hat for the Nordiques. Trendsetter Troy Otto noted, “Everyone made fun of the North Stars’ chain last year, and look – now every team has one.” “House of Shamrock is about to make bank,” Paulinski declared. “This many people, all going to Shamrock? That’s more money than what’s in my self-deprecation jar.” With the season just getting started, there will be many fun nights at Viking Ice Arena ahead.
From Ann Arbor, this is MNL junior reporter Chae Shin-Chang, signing off.
