245 Miles - The Hockey Journey from Iowa to the State of Hockey.
If you ask any Minnesota Wild prospect playing in Iowa what the mileage is between Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines and the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, chances are you won’t get the same answer. Most may not know the exact distance, but they do know what that stretch of concrete heading north symbolizes and where it takes their hockey journey. All the sacrifices they make just to have the privilege of venturing up the I-35 to the State of Hockey for a chance to showcase their skills. The final stretch for most of them is 245 miles of asphalt.
Literally blood, sweat and tears have been shed over a lifetime for this major milestone. A hockey player embraces the challenges that come with making the dream come true of playing in the world’s best league. It’s a grind they don’t mind.
Each player to earn “the callup” has a unique story for their journey. The differences in their experiences range from transportation to join the big club, to who told them they were getting called up, and how much time they had to get organized and get moving.
Since Shaw was the first official call up of the 2022-23 season, it’s easy to start with the forward who has endured (three torn ACLs) so much to earn his chance to shine. Mason Shaw’s first NHL call up took place last spring after an Iowa home game. He was summoned for a postgame meeting with Iowa GM Mike Murray. Shaw had been thrown out of the game and was concerned he may be getting called in due to a fine or suspension for a cross check against the Chicago Wolves in the third period. As he entered the office, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin was seated to the side and the conversation began.
“I remember standing there listening to him telling me I was going up,” explained Shaw. “I didn’t know if I was supposed to let out a huge grin or keep a serious face. On the inside you almost want to give them a hug. For all of us, that moment is something we dream about.”
Shaw rushed home, grabbed enough clothes for a few days and went to the gas station. He fueled up and grabbed a few waters for the road. Shaw needed to make the late-night drive, so he could be present for practice the next morning in Saint Paul. He spent the drive mostly on his phone, catching up with family first, and then friends. He said one of the best parts of the trip was the conversation with his father. He knew this drive was different from ones he had made in the past to join the taxi squad, as it was likely he would make his NHL debut soon.
“My dad, he keeps me pretty grounded,” said Shaw. “I was excited and full of emotion, and he is one of those that doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve. He holds it in well and I envy that about him. Right off the bat, he said he was proud of me and to go get it sort of thing.”
Shaw arrived in Saint Paul close to midnight. He practiced with the Wild in the morning and then it was off to Edmonton, a few hours from where the Wainwright, AB native grew up. He sat on the bench that night. Mostly in amazement. Then made his debut a few nights later in San Jose.
Shaw summed up how most Wild prospects feel about that 245 mile stretch between Des Moines and Saint Paul, “It’s so much better when you are heading north, as opposed to south.”
Mitchell Chaffee
When Chaffee was recalled to the Minnesota Wild on April 18, 2022, it seemed fairly certain he was going to be making his NHL debut in Montreal the following night. Chaffee had been called up twice before, and did not get to dress, but this time around they told him he was going to play. After practice at Wells Fargo Arena, Iowa’s Tim Army pulled him into his office and told him he was going up, but time was going to be tight. Chaffee bolted back to his apartment in downtown Des Moines (luckily minutes away) and grabbed some clothes, which included two suits, before he returned to the arena so he could load up his equipment and head north. He was to be in Saint Paul for the team charter in four hours. They drive is normally three and half hours, and that’s without any delays.
Chaffee scrambled so fast he didn’t even tell his parents what was going on until he was on the I-35. It was one of the most memorable phone calls of his lifetime. Unfortunately, his folks were snowed in with a blizzard in Grand Rapids, Michigan and unable to make it to Montreal to see his debut.
After calls to family members and a few friends, Chaffee kept it close to the vest and settled in for his 245-mile drive, which he recalled being a windy day, making the jaunt a bit of a challenge. Shortly after his phone calls ended, he tuned into a few of his favorite podcasts, which includes Joe Rogan and a variety of health podcasts. Chaffee summed up the experience, “the drive is flat and there is not much to look at. I like to throw on a podcast and just listen to something that will keep my mind entertained.”
On April 19, Chaffee made his NHL debut at the Bell Centre, a 2-0 Wild victory over the Canadiens.
Adam Beckman
I suppose if you are going to get called up, maybe it’s easier when you are already on the road? Or maybe not. On October 29th, the Iowa Wild embarked on a bus trip to Winnipeg from Des Moines. The team had stopped in Grand Forks, ND to break up the drive and squeeze in a quick practice. Towards the end of practice, the staff received word that Covid issues had struck the Minnesota locker room. They did not know who was going to get called up at that time, so they needed the Iowa group to stall before crossing the border.
After practice, the team bus ventured to a nearby mall. All the players exited the bus, headed inside to grab lunch and walk around killing time. Iowa Head Coach Tim Army pulled Beckman aside and told him he was going up. He would have a travel partner in defenseman Calen Addison.
This is where it became a lot of fun for the Iowa Wild equipment staff, as they needed to sift through all the wet bags of gear inside the equipment truck and find the bags of the players called up. This chaotic scene unfolded in the parking lot, next to the parked bus. Aside from their equipment bags, they also needed to pull the stick bags to find their twigs.
The rest of the Iowa Wild players grabbed their personal bags off the bus before it pulled off for Winnipeg leaving behind just Addison and Beckman. Addison and Beckman grabbed a car service from the mall to the airport and eventually caught up with the Minnesota Wild in Colorado that evening.
One of Beckman’s biggest concerns on the journey were his clothes, or lack thereof. With the team going on a road trip in Iowa, track suits are a necessity for comfort on long bus rides. That said, he was concerned about his road attire. His blazer did not match his dress pants and he needed to grab a collared shirt once he got to Denver. Beckman made his NHL debut the following night against the Colorado Avalanche, a 4-1 loss for the Wild.
While Beckman didn’t have to drive the 245 miles to get to Saint Paul, he sure took the scenic route to get there.
Calen Addison
With nearly ten callups over the last three seasons, Calen Addison no one knows the 245 mile stretch of highway from Iowa to Minnesota better than Calen Addison. As the Brandon, Manitoba native described it, “that drive is just part of the grind to get to where I wanted to be. I find it enjoyable. A lot of guys go through the up and down. It’s all part of the game.”
Addison said he never stops along I-35, and that the only way to complete the drive is to power through. Most callups have an element of timeliness and a rush to get to the Twin Cities. Usually, Addison is rocking out to some music, which typically is heavy in the country category.
Despite numerous taxi squad call ups and time with the big club, Addison’s recall that resulted in his NHL debut took place in February of 2021. He was called up on February 11 to join the Minnesota Wild on the West coast. He took a car service to the Des Moines airport and boarded a flight to Los Angeles. The rookie defenseman was inserted into the lineup on Feb. 16, a 4-0 defeat at the Staples Center to the Los Angeles Kings.
Connor Dewar
On October 27, 2021, Iowa’s Connor Dewar got home from practice, ate lunch, and settled in for a quick nap. Not long after his head hit the pillow, the 2018 Minnesota third round pick (#92 overall) got a call from Iowa Wild Head Coach Tim Army. A few Minnesota players in Saint Paul had tested positive for Covid-19, and the NHL club needed reinforcements. Along with forward Kyle Rau and defenseman Jon Lizotte, the trio made their way to the Des Moines airport to catch a flight to Dallas with a connection to Seattle. They arrived late in the evening Seattle time, which seemed even later with the time change.
All Dewar packed for the trip was a suit and his duffle bag with the idea that if he needed something on the road, he would find a way to get it. The next morning, he saw the lineup board and his name was on it. The 23-year-old made his NHL Debut on October 28 in Seattle, a 4-1 defeat to the Kraken.
Having spent time in Des Moines, The Pas, Manitoba native has done the stretch of 245 miles between Saint Paul and Des Moines plenty of times. His advice, “two waters, bang out the drive, and shut down the bladder.” As far as Dewar’s music preferences, he hits shuffle and lets anything play.
Joe Cramarossa
You would be hard pressed to find a player who had experienced only three callups over a ten-year career. Joseph Cramarossa began his pro career in 2013-14, and didn’t get an NHL callup until his fourth season with Anaheim. After a presumed false positive covid test resulted in a canceled call up during the 2020-21 season with Minnesota, the Ontario native finally experienced the 245-mile stretch to Saint Paul last season. After an Iowa home game on April 22, Cramarossa was eating his postgame meal at home when he got a phone call from Iowa Wild General Manager Mike Murray, who told him he was getting the call to Minnesota. Cramarossa had to be in Saint Paul by 2 p.m. the following day for a flight with the NHL club to Nashville. You would think excitement would keep him from sleeping that night, but Cramarossa said he slept well.
“I had a huge sense of relief that I was getting an opportunity. It’s one of the reasons that I have played as long as I have. It’s for moments like that. Most guys in their tenth season are starting to think about retirement, where I am thinking, how can I get more games in the NHL. I am still hopeful my phone rings.”
The next day, Cramarossa fueled up, grabbed a bag of beef jerky, a few bottles of water and one “low calorie fun drink.“ After his 245-mile drive to Saint Paul and a flight to Tennessee, he suited up for Minnesota the following day in a 5-4 OT win on April 24, in Nashville.
We expect the tire tread to continue to wear up and down I-35 all season long. As some of the aforementioned players will make that hockey journey again to Saint Paul from Des Moines, and vice versa. It’s the 245-mile grind.
