MOUND, Minn. — As part of a larger effort across the Twin Cities, a group of Minnesota Wild employees spent their Thursday afternoon putting together an "EZ Rink" in Mound.
"Programs like this allow kids to get out of the house, spend some time, meet new friends," said former Minnesota Wild forward Wes Walz, who was helping out with the installation of the rink.
The Wild teamed up with the NHL and Bauer to donate three outdoor rinks in the Twin Cities. A south Minneapolis rink opened on Jan. 18 and a north Minneapolis rink will opened next month.
"The game of hockey is for everybody," Walz said. "Who knows, maybe, 30, 20 years from now we'll have the next great NHL player that can say that he started his career at an outdoor parking lot."