Up North: North American Floorball championships come to Duluth
It’s not often that a continent-wide competition comes to the Northland, but this past weekend, that was the case.
Back in September, the North American Floorball League (NAFL) and the Minnesota Growlers brought floorball equipment to Duluth Public Schools to introduce the game to young athletes in the Northland.
But there was a bigger reason for the introduction, the NAFL championships.
Fast forward to late July, and the DECC was packed with floorball players and teams from around North America.
“Growing up in the Twin Cities, this is the state of hockey,” said Brian Radichel, the men’s under 19 General Manager. “We all grew up playing Cosom hockey, stepping on your stick, putting a hook in it, going out to the gym, playing with a tennis ball. This is the professionalized version of that game.”
Just because it’s the professional version doesn’t mean it’s the replacement.
“It’s a companion to hockey,” said Radichel. “It’s not a replacement. It’s not a substitute. Your best hockey training is off ice with floor ball. Because if you can handle a whiffle ball bouncing around while you’re running, then a puck while you’re gliding is a lot easier.”
The game itself, which is rooted in Nordic history, is heavily dominated by Nordic athletes, but that’s where the NAFL comes into play.
With six teams all around the U.S., the goal is to start seeing some homegrown talent close the skill gap between other countries, and it may just be working.
“The U.S. is definitely growing, that’s why we’re all here, so we want to bring the skill level up,” said Janne Sjögren, an international referee. “You can see a lot of Finnish and Swedish players in the league here, and they are teaching the U.S. players, of course, a lot of the things that they know already. So year on year, I think it’s gotten a lot better.”
Floorball also gives those who feel they may have missed their chance to get back out there and enjoy something new.
“Maybe you didn’t make AAA in 16, which is kind of the kiss of death in hockey. But you can come out and try for floor ball and still maybe put on the stars and stripes,” concluded Radichel.
As for the championship, it wasn’t the Minnesota Growlers who won, but in a way, the Northland was the big victor.
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