Megaterio Llamas wrote: ↑Sun Mar 15, 2026 9:25 pm
People will soon recognize that he is a better, more dynamic player than Makar now that he is in Minnesota. It's always been true, but hasn't been recognized, and no effort was made here by the team, the fans, or the media to correct this slight. Nevertheless, he was prepared to be a superstar out of the spotlight if the franchise wasn't being run into the ground. Basic competence was all he seemed to be asking for; was it too much to expect?
Minnesota out of the spotlight? There is plenty of attention given to the team. The hockey culture is pervasive, and I think it is the only state that I'd say that about. It's called the State of Hockey for a reason. There's as much media given to the team as the Vikings, and far more than the Timberwolves or the Twins. The Cities bleed green and white and red and yellow (there really are too many colors in that design.....)
To be fair to your point, there is far less rumormongering and smartest-guy-in-the-room thing among the press. And the fans support the team, without entitlement. (I was there a couple weekends ago, two games, packed house both nights, major snowstorm didn't deter a soul -- or all souls deterred just had their tickets snapped up in resale). The stars are seen as stars -- not in a worshipping way, but in that way that true hockey talent is appreciated and supported. Not endlessly criticized for being 95% of perfect. And the lunch bucket guys? The fans love them. The attitude? Hockey is fun, hockey is awesome. Always glass half full; sure the fans are smart enough to know when they've got a small glass or a big one (this year, a big one), but there isn't the foreboding sense of doom even though this franchise hasn't even been to a Cup final in their 25 year history.
What's more, unlike many NHL arenas, this is not a fan base that's comprised of corporate ticket holders who could care less. Its not that the local business community (which includes Fortune 500 companies) doesn't buy its boxes; its that the suits who attend also love the game as fans.
My point here is not that it is right to be pollyannish with the team you follow, but that if "spotlight" is defined as rumormongering and gossip, then, well, no one prefers that environment except the rumormongers and gossipers. If "spotlight" is that your team is full of dysfunction from the top to the bottom, well, no one prefer that environment. But if the "spotlight" is no anonymity because hockey players aren't public figures, that's just not how it is in Minnesota. It is not a "retreat" to play there, but the cost of the spotlight is that people use their chance encounters to buy you a beer.
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