With Wild On Hot Streak, St. Paul Packed With Fans
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- Minnesota Wild fans are in hockey heaven as the team looks to build on its momentum during this second half of the season.
When the Wild score, sports bars like Alary's win big.
"It's going to be nuts down here with a four-game home stay, and we're expecting a crazy increase in traffic not only at Alary's, but in St. Paul in general," said Alary's co-owner Ellie Anderson.
Anderson says fans typically come to sample one of the 40 beers on tap -- 20 of which are local beers. But lately, it's become more than a place to grab a quick drink before the game.
"I think people are really making a day out of it," she said. "It's less about coming down half an hour before the game. People are coming four and five hours before the game. You're seeing people walking around downtown at noon with their Wild gear on. People are excited and they're making an entire day of it."
Fans are also making their way to The St. Paul Hotel's Grill and Lobby. Game night is packed and when the Wild play teams that travel, hotel rooms are a hot commodity.
"We're a hockey city," Wild fan Bruce Schwartzman said. "I'd like to think we support our team even when they're down. When they're doing great like this, everybody is going crazy."
Fans are going nuts trying to get the hottest tickets in town, but a four-game home stay means lots of tickets to choose from.
"Even if the demand is high, you're not going to see prices skyrocket out of control," Mike Nowakowski of Ticket King said. "We even have tickets tonight starting at $60 each."
It's giving more fans an opportunity to see the Wild make a run for the playoffs.
"It's also a good thing for St. Paul in general," Anderson said. "Every restaurant and bar and shopping area here in the city is seeing the same experience we are. It's just a great thing for St. Paul."
Alary's Bar says its sales have increased 50 percent since the Wild's fortune turned around. A lot of businesses are doing well and are banking on the Wild's continued success on the ice.
