WELCOME

Welcome to our Team's Blog! We hope that you'll feel welcome to take a peak inside the workings of our Junior A Hockey team which plays in Bloomington Minnesota. The players are 16-20 years old and come from across the country in the hopes of working up the ladder to play men's college hockey after they leave our team. This site will log the activities and some of the photos of this season.


Our official website is listed under links and we hope you'll check it out too!

Work out Facilities

The Northern Lights team trains and plays their home games at the Bloomington Ice Garden which is located in the southwest suburbs of Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota. You might recognize the arena name from the movie "Miracle" because the 1980 USA Olympic Team trained here. Later it became the home rink for the USHL Saint Paul Vulcans (which is now the TriCity Storm in Kearney Nebraska) and then the Junior Kodiaks of the MNJHL back in the 90's.

When the South Suburban Steers Junior hockey team was reorganized and renamed the Northern Lights in 2002, the team moved to Bloomington Minnesota and made this facility their home. Most of our home games are Sunday nights Sept-March 5:45 PM on Rink 1 (NHL size) pictured below with a few games played on Rink3 (Olympic size). We also have a permanent locker room back between Rink 1 and Rink 2.

Our team uses conditioning and lifting facilities at the Bloomington Activity Centers located within Jefferson and Kennedy High Schools. Players also get a facilities pass for individual supplemental workouts as their schedule allows.

The NL Olympic Experience...

Imagine the most loyal, loud hockey fans from around the world descending on one city for three weeks of awesome international hockey, while Canadian fans are pumped up with pride and ramped up to defend their claim to the national sport while others vie for the glory of Olympic Gold. The best of the best NHL players from around the world never disappoint the most passionate hockey fans.

It's like a tail gate or a Stanley Cup party that goes on for weeks! It's absolutely amazing...you'd struggle for words when you get back home to describe how electric everything feels. And the Northern Lights Junior Hockey Team players get to be part of the experience while playing some junior hockey teams that would like nothing more than to beat an American team. We aim to give them the competitive game they are looking for... and all the while helping to support a great cause. Every four years we have the opportunity to be Goodwill Peace Ambassadors at the Winter Olympics. Our team has played in Italy in 2006 and Vancouver 2010. And we're making plans to go to Russia...



We're looking forward to another great regular season in league play, to moving players to their goal of college hockey, and to our 17 day trip in February 2014 in Sochi Russia just before playoffs and our quest for the bid to the USA Hockey National Tournament.

2007 Sledding Party

Just for fun...here's some flashback pictures!

Steers - NL Alumni

It's that time again...Steers/Northern Lights Hockey Alumni Game!
January 1st, 2011 5:45 PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden
Thank you for sending in an RSVP email to northernlightshockey@juno.com

Photo left: December 2004 Alumni Game

Check out these old pictures from our file!

Sochi Russia -- Winter Olympic 2014 Trip Details

Through community events hosted by the Northern Lights Athlete Village and Rotary/Rotaract including scrimmages against local Vancouver junior hockey teams, the Northern Lights Junior A Hockey Team will promote international good will and understanding between Russian, US citizens and world spectators who are in Russia for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

At the invitation of city and Rotary leadership, our team will:

1) Experience the excitement and the cultural melting pot atmosphere of the Winter Olympics while site-seeing in Russia and attending an olympic hockey game

2) use the public platform created by the scrimmages between Russian junior hockey teams to challenge local children to a) to increase physical fitness through sports & unstructured play b) to spend time each day reading and c) to find a way to serve in their community

3) provide an opportunity for local children to attend a live international hockey game who would not be able to attend an Olympic event

4) attend/participate in community celebrations in conjunction with the Olympic Torch Relay

5) bring public awareness to the service projects of Russian Rotary clubs and the Rotary International "End Polio Now" campaign; serve alongside Rotarians and Russian hockey players

6) provide an international hockey and cultural experience for players on Russian junior hockey teams

7) attend Rotary meetings/interact with local Rotarians to learn about the culture and service opportunities in Russia.

Team Hotel Information

Coming to the Bloomington Ice Garden to watch a game? This Holiday Inn is the closest hotel to our home arena. Mention the "Northern Lights" to get additional discounts. Located on the southwest corner of 94th Street offramp, just a few exits south of the 494/35W interchange.

Holiday Inn (Bloomington I-35W) 952-884-8211
http://kinseth.com/bloomington_holiday_inn.asp

2005-2006 Northern Lights Hockey Team

Front row: Michael Turbitt, Spencer Murphy, Nick Henkemeyer, Thad Caron, Matt Wanvig, Chris Impagliazzo, Jesse Felten, Aaron Stark, Willy Greene, John Wilfong
Second Row: Ross & Stephanie Smith, Ben Storm, Lucas Johnson, Rob Talafous, Eric Fink, Boyd Paavola, Mat Jacobsen, Mike Sheehan, Jakko Koskinene, Tracy Irey, TJ Gannon
Third Row: Teddy Zierden, Stan Palmer, Jake Pernula, Will Such, Pete Moehnke, Matt Oster, Jeff Beck Matt Zavislak

Throwback Jersey Night

Northern Lights vs Minnesota Owls
January 2, 2006 Wakota Arena
South Saint Paul, Minnesota
















































Ceremonial Puck Drop:
MNJHL Vice President & former Steers owner, Len Mankowski
Minnesota Owls General Manager Cindy Kuznia
Northern Lights ( Steers) Trainer & Mgmt staff, Stephanie Smith

Alumni Game: Jan 1st 2006

For rosters & game recap, go to Northern Lights Website

















Ben & Josh Storm
























Subra, Adams, Cooney, Storm & Stone (Steers 2001-2)











NL Staff Alumni:Josh Hauge, Eric Fink, Gordie Hampson, Boyd Paavola, Mat Jacobsen, Ross & Stephanie Smith














Steers Staff Alumni: GM Jim Martin, Coach Kevin Oster, Trainer Stephanie Smith




















Steve & Kevin Steinolfson

(below from front: Andrew Kent, Luther Deutsch, Matt Johnson, Blake Sundeen)

Helping Little Heroes

On Tues 9/20, several members of our team provided manpower for the Helping Little Heroes paper drive which raises money for Children's Hospital. This annual event brings awareness of the critical health needs of kids in Minnesota and raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for research and medical treatments. Our players served at four locations in the metro area, selling the Minneapolis Star Tribune papers for $1; Seventy-five cents per paper goes directly to Children's Hospital Foundation. We began participating in this fundraiser three years ago because of our team's special connection to Markus Bachman who was a miracle baby six years ago at Children's.

Veteran Nick Henkemeyer at the Richfield Taco Bell


Defenseman Pete Moehnke at Leanne Chin's in Richfield (above)
John Wilfong at Taco Bell in Bloomington (below)