The Iowa Wild and Milwaukee Admirals played the coldest hockey game in history at Hockey Day Minnesota on Friday night in Hastings, Minn. Subzero temperatures did not prevent a fight!
Punches started flying during the first period in retaliation for a vicious dirty hit last season.
Anybody brave enough to sit through the coldest hockey game in history got to witness an instant classic! A fight in the first period and an overtime winner. What else can you ask for?!
Hockey Day Minnesota is a very big deal.
A massive winter storm is currently sweeping across the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. That did not stop the North Star State from playing hockey. Nothing does.
Hockey Day Minnesota features more than 20 different games over the course of a week, ranging from high school, to the military, to NHL alumni, to college, to professional. The full schedule is as follows:
The main event took place on Friday night. Two professional hockey games were played on the outdoor rink at the United Heroes League Complex in Hastings. We’re going to focus only on the second.
Minnesota Wild affiliate Iowa Wild hosted Nashville Predators affiliate Milwaukee Admirals.
The Iowa Wild and Milwaukee Admirals played in sub-freezing temperatures.
Puck drop for the AHL main event at Hockey Day Minnesota took place at 5:30 p.m. Temperatures hovered around -8º Fahrenheit with a windchill of -30º but that did not stop hockey fans from showing up!
-8 at puck drop. Here’s what happens when you tell people from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin there’s a hockey game goin…. pic.twitter.com/1TmMutfOuN
— Chris Peters (@chrismpeters) January 23, 2026
It was a beautiful scene.
Not only was it the coldest professional hockey game of all-time, the game itself was thoroughly entertaining. The crowd thinned out by the third period as temperatures continued to drop but those who stuck around were treated to a thrilling finish. Milwaukee scored on a forehand in overtime to win 3-2.
OUTDOOR OVERTIME HERO ZACH L'HEUREUX@mkeadmirals | @TheAHL | @HockeyDayMN#MILHockey #AHL #HDM26 pic.twitter.com/6doszn4FRJ
— FloHockey (@FloHockey) January 24, 2026
There may not be a cooler setting in hockey and the on-ice performance lived up to the hype.
Record cold did not stop a fight!
Not only did the game go to overtime, fans were also treated to a brief kerfuffle during the first period. The Admirals and Wild punched each other in the face.
A big hit near the blue line heightened tensions. Reid Schaefer and Ben Gleason got things started with some initial pushing and shoving. And then Zachary L’Heureux got involved, which led to fisticuffs.
it may be -8 degrees but the fellas are still down to punch each other in the face pic.twitter.com/6sTF5B4s9f
— Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) January 23, 2026
There is a history with these two teams. L’Heureaux specifically was involved with a dirty hit on Jared Spurgeon in the NHL last season. Spurgeon played for the Minnesota Wild.
Thus, the Iowa Wild hates L’Heureaux just as much as the big league club. He got punched in the face in sub-freezing temperatures for a reason. Nothing will stop hockey players from getting revenge. Not even the cold!