Yelling feels good. But yelling isn’t the solution. I fear we have reached this point in the debate (is it a debate?) over the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth. You can read more in my latest column in the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Naturally, Iron Rangers don’t want the Hall of Fame Museum to move. Why would they? It’s a point of pride in an important aspect of local culture. But the museum is an organization, one that must function to survive.
The non-profit’s board of directors makes the decision. While they appear to be considering a proposal to move the hall to coordinate with a proposed expansion at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, it’s far too early to say what they will actually do. The board appears divided. Meantime, it looks like the appetite for a big bonding request for the X is fading.
The board’s chair Karin Housley, a Republican State Senator from Stillwater, threw gas on the fire with a confrontational social media post. Local legislators and officials are holding rallies and making political hay. But under it all lie important questions.
Is the Hockey Hall of Fame Museum functioning as it should? What can be done to improve the number of visitors and the experiences they have there? And, finally, is there an opportunity here to use political chits to get something better than what we have now?
Those questions remain. We need ideas, and I recently heard a good one. Read more in “U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame debate crashes into the boards,” in the Saturday, May 3, 2025 Minnesota Star Tribune.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
