BEMIDJI — Brendan Amaris, a lifelong Minnesotan, didn’t fully grasp what the State of Hockey entails until this fall.

The Minnesota Sports and Events operations coordinator was at the Sanford Center in Bemidji on Sunday, organizing a free youth hockey clinic. It was part of the organization’s Assist26 initiative, which is aimed toward engaging communities in hockey through the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship tournament.

“I don’t think I really noticed what the State of Hockey really means,” Amaris said. “Watching the local communities and these smaller towns show their passion for hockey is incredible.”

Minnesota Sports and Events hosted its first free clinic at the Sanford Center at noon for 8-and-under boys and girls hockey players from the Bemidji Youth Hockey Association, Walker

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