Girls state hockey tournament forges ahead despite looming winter storm

A major winter storm is hitting the Twin Cities as hockey players from around the state travel to St. Paul for the Girls State High School Hockey Tournament.

The Warroad hockey team left earlier than normal on Tuesday from the Canadian border in northwestern Minnesota to make sure they arrive before the severe weather hits.

“A little bit of a flashback from last year. It was some interesting weather as well around this time, which made for some interesting travel,” Warroad assistant coach Blayke Nelson said.

The team is one of many schools traveling from every corner of the state to compete for the title just as Mother Nature plans to dump as much as 25 inches of snow on the Twin Cities through Thursday.

“We’ll get there. It might just take us a little bit longer, and we’ll just deal with it as things come,” Nelson said.

The Minnesota State High School League released a statement saying the four-day hockey tournament will take place at the Xcel Energy Center as scheduled.

The spokesperson is encouraging people to watch the weather and make travel plans accordingly.

“I came with my grandma, and she’s a little bit scared of it, so we came ahead of time,” said Tenlee Pick, who traveled from Luverne in the far southwestern corner of Minnesota.

Pick got a head start on the drive with her family so she could cheer on her cousin in the tournament.

“It’s exciting to watch them again because my cousin is a senior. It’s her last year, so it’s exciting to see her play,” Pick said.

Both fans and players are calling the snow an afterthought.

Nelson said Warroad is focused on bringing home another win.

“Last year we found success in what we did,” Nelson said. “So hopefully we can mimic that and create some of the same excitement and ultimately get another championship banner to hang up.”

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS checked in with hotels around the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday.

Most of them are fully booked, but the Intercontinental in St. Paul has openings because a conference was canceled, according to the front desk.

Viewers can always watch the tournament safe from home on 45-TV starting on Friday