For 3 decades, a father-son bond grew over H.S. boys' hockey tourneys
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Every year, thousands of fans pack the Xcel Energy Center for the boys' state high school hockey tournament. For many, it's an annual tradition, and WCCO's Norman Seawright didn't have to go far to find two die-hard fans.
Andrew Osterbauer is a producer at WCCO. He looks forward to this tournament every year with his father, Brad Osterbauer. They've been going almost every year for the last three decades now.
"The only years I didn't make it were 2020, the COVID year, and (in) 2000, my parents told me, 'We don't think your grades are good enough, so we are not going to let you go,'" Osterbauer said.
On top of their memories, they collect just about everything, and have amassed a large selection of programs, jerseys, and other memorabilia.
"One of the favorite memories that I would have is just coming to the game for the first time and grabbing a T-shirt and program," Brad Osterbauer said. "We always get something every year."
The programs they've collected go back to 1994, the first year they went together. Unfortunately, those programs eventually went digital.
"There's nobody I'd rather be here with than my dad. He's been my hockey buddy my whole life," Andrew Osterbauer said.