Minnesota Wild to Host Military Appreciation Night Featuring Wounded Combat Veterans and Joint Honor Guard
A Joint Honor Guard composed of members from the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army will post the colors at Grand Casino Arena for the event.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 Erik Homme will serve as the Guardian of the Game for the matchup. Homme advises the Adjutant General and senior military leadership on warrant officer matters as the Command Chief Warrant Officer for the Minnesota National Guard. With a military career dating back to 1986, he has dedicated nearly four decades to serving Minnesota and the nation.
Wounded Soldier Makes Game Announcement
Sgt. Cory Hicks, a Minnesota native and U.S. Army Reserve soldier with 19 years of military service, will make the Let’s Play Hockey!
announcement ahead of the game. On March 1, 2026, while stationed in Kuwait, Hicks suffered critical wounds after an Iranian drone hit his tactical operations center, an attack that resulted in the deaths of six of his fellow troops. Having suffered numerous severe wounds, such as a traumatic brain injury, he has been undergoing a lengthy rehabilitation process at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.
Army Capt. Kristin Ohrt, who serves in the Minnesota Army National Guard, will be honored as the CUB Community Hero of the game. Working within the Guard’s community outreach and professional sports partnerships, Ohrt helps showcase the bonds connecting the Minnesota National Guard with local professional athletic franchises, such as Minnesota United, the Timberwolves, Vikings, Twins, and the Minnesota Wild.
Concourse Displays and Ticket Information
Veterans who served in the Vietnam War, World War II, the Korean War, the Gulf War, and the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran will be present at the event. Several military organizations will be featured throughout the Grand Casino Arena concourse.
Single-game tickets for the matchup are on sale now at wild.com/seatgeek, seatgeek.com, and the Grand Casino Arena Box Office. Digital tickets are accessible exclusively through the Official Minnesota Wild App or the SeatGeek App. Flex, 11-game, half-season, and full-season memberships are also available for purchase by visiting tickets.wild.com or contacting a ticket sales representative at (651) 222-WILD (9453). Group reservations for eight or more tickets and single-game suite rentals can be coordinated by contacting the team directly or booking instantly at wildsuites.com.
