Brown: U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame debate crashes into the boards

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The fight over the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn., is unfolding like an early morning mini-mites game. The 5-year-olds are on the ice. People are screaming from the stands. Technically, the puck is moving, but it could be five or six centuries before anyone scores.

Last month, board members at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum floated the possibility of moving the hall to the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. With a bonding proposal to renovate the X in the works, speculation abounds that the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, operated by USA Hockey, could be part of the deal.

Though the museum board has yet to approve any changes, this quickly became a political power play. The Iron Range’s storied hockey history rests at the heart of Minnesota’s claim as the State of Hockey. The problem, however, is that there are more angry Facebook comments than there are visitors to the northern Minnesota museum.

Last Saturday, about 150 people rallied along Hat Trick Avenue in Eveleth to keep the hall on the Iron Range. Several local and legislative officials spoke, including Sen. Grant Hauschild, a Hermantown DFLer, Sen. Rob Farnsworth, a Hibbing Republican, and freshman Rep. Cal Warwas, a Republican from my old stomping grounds in Clinton Township.

Their words were heartfelt. People of very different political views united under the righteous banner of hockey. But as I wrote last month, hope is not a strategy. There needs to be a winning game plan.

Days before the rally, Hauschild advanced an amendment to deny state funding to any project that removes the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum from the Iron Range. Farnsworth supported the amendment, giving it bipartisan support.

Nevertheless, the amendment failed 32-30. Sen. Karin Housley, a Stillwater Republican who happens to chair the museum board, spoke against the amendment, leading most of her GOP colleagues to oppose it. The DFL holds a narrow majority in the Senate, which means that, at this moment, Hauschild doesn’t have the votes.

To be honest, banning a nonprofit organization from moving is an overreach. For this to work, we must find a way for the nonprofit to succeed on its own.

Unfortunately, instead of adding new ideas, Housley mostly poured salt on the wound. She visited the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum on the same day as the rally, though not to participate. On the social media platform X, she wrote, “Sen. [Grant Hauschild] looked like a complete fool at some poorly attended rally that he organized. That’s one angry politician who knows nothing about hockey.”

It’s not clear what political advantage this comment provided Housley or anyone else. Now we’ve got finger-pointing, dueling social media posts and a whole lot of commentary devoid of any new ideas.

Then, just this week, St. Paul officials announced they would scale back the size of the Xcel Energy Center expansion proposal. None of this is going as smoothly as expected.

But at the same time, don’t let all this political theater fool you. Everyone involved knows they must shore up the museum if it is to stay in Eveleth long term. USA Hockey wants more visitors for its Hall of Fame. That will take money. A tightening state budget will make it hard to find much funding this term or next, regardless of who’s in the majority.

So, who’s got an idea?

After my last column on this topic, I got a call from Gary Lamppa. He served as Gov. Rudy Perpich’s commissioner of the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board back in the 1980s, shortly after the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame opened. Even then, the fiscal challenges of running the museum vexed local officials.

Now he has an idea: turn Eveleth’s museum into the Minnesota High School Hockey Hall of Fame.

Minnesota is home to the greatest high school hockey tournament in the country. Eveleth won the first one, and five of the first seven. From the All-Hockey Hair team to sold out arenas at the X, this state goes nuts for high school hockey.

Every year, the Minnesota State High School League and media organizations, including the Minnesota Star Tribune, name the best players of the previous season. What if we named a hall of fame class of boys and girls each year? Invariably, the hall would end up honoring future college greats and pros.

One of the biggest criticisms of the current U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum is that it overemphasizes local high school hockey lore. Why not turn a weakness into a strength?

Now that Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert high schools merged to form Rock Ridge, the new Wolverines boys’ and girls’ hockey teams look to be perennial contenders. That will bring teams from around the state to Virginia and Eveleth every year. Have you ever been stuck in some town for a hockey tournament? You’re always looking for something to do. How about this?

A renewed focus on high school athletes, fueled by the perpetual desire to relive teenage glory, might prove a fiscal boon to the struggling museum. If you put some kid from Edina on the wall in Eveleth, he’ll drive there (with his long-suffering family) to see it for the rest of his life. This is both a joke and a truth, multiplied by all the great players every year.

As for me, I like Lamppa’s idea. If you don’t, come up with one of your own. Ideas are a lot better than playing politics and complaining.