WARROAD, Minn. — The wait is over. With 15 other communities hosting Hockey Day Minnesota over the past 17 years, one of the nation’s legendary hockey communities takes center stage later this week.

“I feel it's about time that Warroad, since Warroad is considered Hockeytown, to have this event,” said Bob Marvin, the city's mayor for nearly 30 years.

This week, the town of about 1,800 people will swell at least five-fold, putting virtually every business and certainly every hotel, motel and restaurant not only in Warroad, but in neighboring communities such as Roseau and Baudette on full alert.

This week — as an expected 10,000 ticket-holding fans converge at the temporary ice rink built on the school’s football field for the three-day event — grocery store workers, hotel housekeeping staffs and restaurant servers will be busy.

The idea to host Hockey Day Minnesota in Warroad, considering the larger scope of the event, wasn't a possibility years ago. This year's co-chairperson Brenda Baumann said that started to turn in 2016 and Warroad began prepping its bid for the 2024 showcase. In 2021, Minnesota Wild and Bally Sports North representatives made a site visit to the northern Minnesota community.

"This community rallies, they pull together," said Baumann, who co-chairs with Tad Palmquist. "I think people are surprised what kind of experience the folks up here can actually provide. It's unique. It's exciting. It's fun, people are creative, they're resilient. And we're really proud of having the opportunity to represent our community through Hockey Day."

It's a little town that could, and will.

“It’s awesome,” said Warroad native Hampton Slukynsky, now a goaltender for the Fargo Force and a Los Angeles Kings draft pick, of his town hosting Hockey Day Minnesota. “I know they’ve put in a lot of work up there in the community, a lot of people volunteering and helping out, so it should be a great experience for all those kids. I kind of wish I could have been a part of it, but it should be really fun for them.”

Mark Chamernick, the activities director and dean of students at Warroad, is supervising upwards of 200 volunteers for Hockey Day. Some are village hosts, tent stockers, sledding and Outlaw Rink monitors. Others will help with the general build and tear-down.

"There's a million things to do," Chamernick said.

While more eyes will be on Saturday’s three marquee matchups televised on Bally Sports North, the event begins Thursday with three prep matchups, followed by a college and an alumni game on Friday.

“We definitely want to highlight our community, so we’re trying to pull all the stops out and make sure we’ve got a nice offering with our downtown community and the whole Warroad experience,” said Steve Hagen, president of the Warroad Chamber of Commerce.

Hockey Day Minnesota will likely wind up being the largest event hosted by Warroad. Its annual Fourth of July Celebration attracts upwards of 6,000 to 8,000 people, but a winter event without the full array of lodging (campgrounds, for example) and dining options increases the complexity.

“We want to get across that Warroad has a lot to offer and should be able to handle this event,” said Marvin, who is also a Minnesota Wild minority owner. “It’s a small community and most people know one another. If Warroad is challenged in any way, people will get involved and help out. That’s just the way this community is.”

As far as the economic impact the event will have on Warroad, it's too early to tell, Hagen said. Since Hockey Day Minnesota began in Baudette in 2007 and 2008, the scope of the hockey festival has vastly increased. The closest comparable city to host Hockey Day without a large nearby city is Bemidji in 2019.

“We don’t know 100 percent what to expect, but we’re gearing up and we’re hoping we have a huge economic influx for the weekend, but really it’s not just about the weekend,” Hagen said. “It’s about getting people back and saying, ‘This Warroad, this is a great place. This is really something here and they’ve got a lot going on. I should bring my family back here in the summertime.’ And maybe in the end, it causes someone to say ‘I’d like to live in a place like that.’”

Jessie Anthony, the hospitality coordinator for Warroad’s Hockey Day Minnesota, said she has handled accommodation requests for more than 300 rooms, ranging from teams to VIPs, not only in Warroad but in neighboring locales.

She said there's only a few more available between the four main lodging options in Warroad, including the Hampton Inn which opened in 2021, and other facilities in Roseau and Baudette. Organizers have said the addition of the Hampton Inn helped pave the way for Warroad to even be considered as a Hockey Day location, but it still wasn’t enough.

That’s where Anthony and other organizers began to think outside of the box, utilizing the city’s campground for those with heated wheel houses or RVs, cabin owners and residents willing to open up their homes to guests.

It’s ice fishing season too, which is always a draw in the wintertime for anglers willing to travel.

Anthony said they started blocking off rooms about two years ago.

“It was getting a little bit tricky in terms of placing people and everything like that,” Anthony said. “But it’s all shaken out real nicely.”

Since most places are booked, co-chairperson Brenda Baumann said it's a coin flip if there's any late availability.

Besides food being available in and around the outdoor village near the rink, restaurants in Warroad are also gearing up for the crush. Hagen said some will have expanded hours and menus for various eateries will be available at the chamber of commerce’s booth near the rink.

There’s only one supermarket in Warroad, Doug’s Supermarket. Hagen, a co-owner of the business, said Doug’s will have more grab-and-go items available, offering some flexibility.

“So we’ve got churches that are stepping up. We've got nonprofit organizations that are getting involved to try and help with food,” Hagen said.

The bars, including Lake of the Woods Brewing Co., are also bracing for a long week of guests.

Parking will be available around the school, where designated as well as in the downtown area. Hagen said shuttles, as well as a half-mile walking path, will run between the village and downtown.

Fire pits will be scattered throughout the downtown area and along with the retail shopping, hot cocoa will be available at some locations.

The Hockey Day Minnesota village opens at 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday.

Along with a giant sledding hill, a mini rink and a mini Riverbend Skate Path inside the village, the actual Riverbend Skate Path of more than five miles can be enjoyed. Various ice rinks connect to the path, however, Hagen said because of unseasonable weather earlier this winter, some will not be available.

The late Henry Boucha, a Warroad hockey legend, will be honored throughout the event. A documentary, " The Electric Indian ," will be shown at 3 p.m. Friday in the Hockeytown Lodge.

Musical acts will play nightly at Hockey Day Minnesota. The Acoust Hicks will play from 7-10 p.m. Thursday, Hurricane Karaoke 7-11 p.m. Friday and Martin Zellar takes the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday to wrap up the week.