Mike Snee is Vice President of the Minnesota Wild Foundation, where he leads initiatives that support and grow hockey at every level across the state. Mike is keenly passionate about hockey in Minnesota and in this presentation he discusses the importance of preserving, strengthening, and celebrating Minnesota’s unique community hockey model, with a focus on accessibility, grassroots engagement, and philanthropic efforts to reduce barriers and expand opportunities for players and families throughout the State of Hockey.

These slides were shared as part of Mike's presentation at TCS Live Minnesota in 2025, and highlight the numbers that make Minnesota such a hotbed of hockey. The participation numbers as players get older remain much stronger in Minnesota compared with other states (and other countries such as Canada as well), and Mike deconstructs why players stay at home to play and why it's a recipe for longterm success in higher leagues such as the NCAA, PWHL, and the NHL.

Why does it work so well in Minnesota?

Watch the entire presentation here.