MSBN To Broadcast Four Minnesota Hockey State Tournaments

The Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network is pleased to announce today that the network has once again teamed up with Minnesota Hockey, the statewide governing body of amateur hockey in Minnesota, to broadcast four state hockey tournaments March 19-21 from various sites across the state of Minnesota.  Fans will be able to follow the games live on MSBN’s website, found online at www.MnSportsNetwork.com .

MSBN will bring live audio play-by-play of the quarterfinals, semifinals, third place games and championship games of two youth and two girls’ state tournaments: the Bantam A State Tournament in Richfield will have an added feature being live Video play by play, the Pee Wee A tournament in Faribault, the Girls 14 & Under A tournament in Cloquet, and the girls 12 & Under A tournament in Cottage Grove.  In all, 32 games will be broadcast under the agreement between MSBN and Minnesota Hockey.

This is the third year that MSBN has brought live coverage of Minnesota Hockey sanctioned events; MSBN originally broadcast the championship brackets of the Bantam A State Tournament in 2008 from Braemar Arena in Edina.

“MSBN is very excited to once again be able to bring extensive coverage of these four great Minnesota Hockey state tournaments this year,” said Sid Thompson, the Vice President Sales and Director of Partnerships for the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network.  “Having grown up playing hockey we know the passion for the sport of hockey in Minnesota is unparalleled, from the college and professional hockey down to the youth and high school ranks.  To be able to bring these tournaments to fans interested in the next generation of hockey in Minnesota is a great opportunity for MSBN, Minnesota Hockey, and most importantly the fans of this great game.”

Mike Snee, the Executive Director of Minnesota Hockey, also was very excited about the broadcasts.  “The response we received from last year’s broadcast was strong and it made sense to renew our partnership this year.” said Snee.  “Many people interested in these games – family members, friends, community residents – that aren’t able to be at the rink can now experience these tournaments from anywhere.”

MSBN’s coverage of all four state tournaments will begin with the quarterfinal games at 12:00 pm on March 19 from all four sites, with the semifinals on March 20, and the third place games and championships on March 21.  A complete schedule is below, with all four state tournaments following the same scheduling format.

MSBN-MINNESOTA HOCKEY BROADCAST SCHEDULE, MARCH 19-21

The Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network, www.MnSportsNetwork.com , is a Minnesota based web broadcasting company started in September 2005 to broadcast and promote high school, college, and professional athletics. Since its inception, MSBN has broadcast more than 2,000 events in the state of Minnesota, including extensive coverage of Minnesota State High School League regular-season and post-season athletic events, University of St. Thomas and Concordia St. Paul athletics, American Legion Central Plains Regional, Minnesota Junior Hockey League, Minnesota Hockey youth tournaments, and Northwoods League Baseball. Check www.MnSportsNetwork.com for broadcast information including start times and game summaries, including broadcast information for all 2010 Minnesota high school state tournaments, including the 2010 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament March 10-13, Girls State Basketball Tournament March 17-20, and Boys Basketball Tournament March 24-27.

Minnesota Hockey, a USA Hockey affiliate, is the governing body of youth hockey in Minnesota and the largest in the United States.  For additional information on Minnesota Hockey and its programs go to www.MinnesotaHockey.org.