Political Gamesmanship

Lost amid all the hype about football and baseball stadiums was the impact of the recent Minnesota legislative session on the one sport that truly matters: hockey. The results are mixed.

First the bad news. DECC Expansion Left Out Of Bonding Bill:

A special referendum, months of lobbying, and plenty of support from Northland residents was not enough to secure money for the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center expansion at the Minnesota Capitol.

The Legislative Session comes to a close on Monday, and funding for the DECC was left out of the bonding bill and the supplemental budget, money made available from the health impact fee.

The DECC is home to the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and is badly in need of an upgrade.

But there was also a silver lining in one of the stadium bills. Hockey Hall of Fame staying put:

State Rep. Tom Rukavina, a DFLer from Virginia, made a big stop for Eveleth this weekend.
A provision in the University of Minnesota's stadium bill that passed in the waning hours of the Legislative session commits about $80,000 in taconite taxes annually to keep the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minn.

Citing sagging attendance, hall officials earlier this month said they wanted to close the museum's doors and look for a new home. St. Paul officials, including City Council Member Dan Bostrom, suggested the capital city would welcome a new Hall of Fame, particularly on the East Side.

Granted, Eveleth is not exactly an easily accessible location for the Hall. But there's an undeniable appeal to having it located in a region that long has been a hockey hotbed for Minnesota and the country as a whole. Like the sport itself, a pilgrimage to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame is not for the faint of heart or the casual fan. It requires a true dedication and devotion to hockey. It may not attract the most visitors, but it does draw those most passionate about the game. Keep the Hall in Eveleth. Let hockey be hockey.