Tom Hanks, Hockey, and Me

A post from my archive in honor of the Minnesota High School Hockey tournament this weekend!

In 1982, I was invited to be a special guest at the biggest annual event in Minnesota—The State High School Hockey Tournament.

It’s embarrassing to describe what happens to hardworking, notoriously shy Minnesotans when they arrive in Minneapolis and enter this hockey mecca each year.

Cheerleaders pompom like exploding popcorn. Brass sections from a dozen marching bands shake the rafters. Girlfriends hold hands and pray. Perfectly behaved young men go wild when the game gets physical, and turn apoplectic if punches are thrown. Grownups weep when their team loses. It’s a big, sloppy, wonderful event.

I was one of two special guests invited to the tournament in 1982. The other guest was an actor named Tom, who was starring in his first television show, about two guys who dress as women so they can live in a girls-only apartment. Sounded a little lame to me.

I’d never heard of him. He’d never heard of me. Neither of us really knew why we were there, but we did a couple interviews and got really good seats for the games. Tom and I were about the same age, but the only thing we had in common was that we both loved hockey. Like really loved hockey.

He was curly-haired and adorably enthusiastic. It turned out that he had played hockey as a kid. Tom looked so young that I couldn’t believe it when he told me that he was married and had kids!

I was impressed that he had actually done a little homework about the tournament. As a local girl, I knew the teams and some of the players and filled him in on long held rivalries. In fact, my old high school team was in the final game of the tournament. We yelled and screamed and whooped like old friends when my home team won.

Then, I went back to National Geographic and Tom went back to his sit-com. I haven’t seen him since, but I hear he’s done well.

There are worse things than hanging with Tom Hanks at the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament.

I am delighted to announce that 50% of all paid subscriptions will be donated to the women-led non-profit Vital Impacts in support of their conservation and wildlife projects. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber.