Locked-Out NHL Players Skate in St. Louis Park

With the NHL officially in a lockout, it looks like St. Louis Park will be home to some hockey stars—at least for a while.

Star Tribune Wild beat writer Michael Russo tweeted earlier today that about 40 locked-out players were skating at the SLP Rec Center, including new Wild star Zach Parise.

Fellow Minnesota Wild players such as Matt Cullen, Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Harding, plus other NHLers including Dustin Byfuglien and Paul Martin, have been skating at the Rec as part of the Octagon pro hockey camp the past few weeks. 

St. Louis Park varsity coach Shjon Podein works for Octagon part-time as a player agent and as a family advisor for top amateurs.

If a lockout drags on, Octagon players could continue to skate in St. Louis Park through the fall, the Pioneer Press reports. The NHL season is scheduled to start on Oct. 11, and while no games have been cancelled yet, recent history suggests that cancellations could come—the entire 2004-05 season was lost due to a lockout.

Here is some Star Tribune video from today's skate at the Rec.

If you happen to snap any photos of NHL stars at the Rec, feel free to share them in our Neighborhood Gallery.

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