Ralph Engelstad Arena

Ethan McKenzie, you know, just all...

It, it, it was fun to just sit back and, um, to see what all those guys could do in their first, um, you know, real test against somebody else, um, in a, in a Ralph Engelstad Arena that was full of fans and loud, and it felt like game night.

And, uh, you know, if, if Saturday's game against Augustana was indicative of how this team is going to play, um, they're gonna be a lot of fun to watch throughout this entire season, especially against the tough schedule that they have.

Yeah.

Opening week, uh, for the most part I guess, for most, for a lot of teams, is under our belts.

Uh, you spent a couple of exhibition games at Ralph Engelstad Arena last weekend, Schloss.

Um, you got to see Augustana and Manitoba, so you got a chance to look at a couple of college teams at least on Saturday.

What were some of your takeaways, uh, from North Dakota's opening weekend, and Augustana's?

And, uh, that passion just carried down and carried through me.

And, uh, uh, there wasn't a Friday, you know, my childhood memory's not only playing, but uh, you know, they, they surround myself being at, uh, the Ralph Engelstad Arena on Friday and Saturday every night they have a home game, and listening on the radio when they didn't.

So i- it's something I grew up in, and, uh, I've been very fortunate.

Since I got done playing I've, I've never really had a job.

The second period we want to focus our attention on, what does he see with regard to the transition of college hockey with the addition of the Canadian Hockey League players? It's positive on one extent, and I think it's negative on another, and I will be visiting my thoughts on that.

And then in the third period, we're going to talk about this year's team, the North Dakota hockey team coming up, playing Augustana tonight at 6-0-7, puck drop at the Ralph Engelstad Arena.

But...

Legend Dave, I'll tell you what, we're going to be seeing the last of the two Legend brothers coaching in college hockey.

Redbirds, who are also four and one overall, check in at number 10 in the media poll and number 11 in the coaches' rankings this week.

Full preview of that massive game in the FCS landscape in the Valley at gojacks.com. And lastly, Augustana Viking Hockey officially drops the puck on their season Saturday night with a standalone exhibition game up in Grand Forks at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Augustana and North Dakota faced off against each other in the 2024-2025 season during exhibition play, where the Vikings downed the Fighting Hawks.

And UND will play host in an exhibition on your way Saturday night.

That is – that's a fun one to play in.

The Ralph is like – 17,000

people.

Yeah.

The Ralph is like if you were to play for North Dakota, that's like playing in SEC school on the road.

Like that's not –

Yes.

I got a press release today, by the way.

This is the 25th season of Ralph Engelstad Arena.

That seems crazy to me.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And it's great to go up to a venue like the Ralph Engelstad Arena, 'cause it, it will, it'll be very much, uh, like a regular season game.

We're anticipating a packed house, all the emotions that come with it.

It's their homecoming.