SAINT PAUL -- At the start of the 2017-18 season, the Minnesota Wild unveiled a new tradition, This Is Our Ice, calling upon fans to contribute water from their local hockey ponds, lakes and rinks to be filtered and frozen into the Xcel Energy Center ice sheet. As the team resides in not only the State of Hockey, but also the Land of 10,000 Lakes, this year the Wild is looking to solidify the This Is Our Ice tradition by issuing a challenge to its fans: Help us collect water from all 10,000-plus lakes.

"We could not be more thrilled to see how quickly our fans became involved in the This Is Our Ice tradition last season," said Matt Majka, Minnesota Wild president. "That's why this year, we're excited to announce the 10,000 Lakes Challenge -- inviting fans to be a part of Minnesota hockey history by helping the Wild fill the Xcel Energy Center ice sheet with water from not only meaningful ponds and rivers, but every lake in the state, from Lake Nokomis to Lake Winnibigoshish."

Wild fans can participate in the challenge by collecting their meaningful water and bringing it to the Wild's "Flood the Rink" event on Sept. 15 at Xcel Energy Center or any home game during the season. Fans can then track their contributions and learn more about Minnesota bodies of water on the This Is Our Ice webpage on wild.com, which will feature data from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Lake Finder tool. Fans that complete the challenge will receive an honorary "Our Ice" jersey patch and be entered to win tickets to the Wild game on March 25 on the Bremer Bank suite level.

Moving water from lakes in Minnesota requires a special permit, which the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has granted for this activity. The DNR encourages people to use containers with tight lids and reminds everyone to be safe anytime they're on or around the water.



Flood the Rink

On Saturday, Sept. 15, fans can join players at Xcel Energy Center as, together, we create the ice for the 2018-19 season. During this special day, fans are invited to bring their local pond, lake or ice rink water to Xcel Energy Center. In portable containers -- a maximum of three ounces of water -- fans will contribute water to be placed in a Zamboni located outside Gate 1 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fan-provided water will be filtered and used the following day to help make ice at Xcel Energy Center for the Wild's 2018-19 season.

Activities taking place at Xcel Energy Center on Sept. 15 include:

Fans invited to bring water in portable containers (maximum of three ounces) to be placed in a Zamboni outside Gate 1 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Minnesota Wild Breakaway Run begins at 8:30 a.m. outside Xcel Energy Center.

Single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season will go on sale at 8:30 a.m. at the Xcel Energy Center Box Office and at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets.

The Wild will host an open practice for fans starting at a time yet to be announced.

While participating in the 10,000 Lakes Challenge requires fans to bring water from a lake, all fans are once again encouraged to bring water from their favorite pond, river or ice rink to contribute during the season. Wild fans are also invited to share a photo of themselves collecting water on social media using the hashtag #OurIce, and explain why they chose that location for their picture.

During the Minnesota State Fair, a limited number of containers will be provided to fans each day at the Wild booth located in DNR Park off of Nelson Street and Judson Avenue. Wild season ticket holders will receive containers by mail. The team will also have a booth in the FAN Central building during the Minnesota State Fair.

Video: Wild captains share their childhood ice stories

Video: Stalock, Eriksson Ek crash backyard rink

Video: Wild Fans 'Flood the Rink'