Mason Shaw slipped on his Wild jersey, rode the elevator up to the concourse and crutched his way though a sea of fans before taking his position near the top of Section 123.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he gazed around the rink. He took a few deep breaths as the pump-up video played in front of him. He felt his heart start to race as soon as his teammates hit the ice.
No matter. The nerves could wait. This was his moment. He grabbed the microphone and took center stage.
After delivering a speech that rose in a crescendo, Shaw uttered the iconic words with an incredible amount of energy.
“LET’S PLAY HOCKEY!”
The sellout crowd nearly blew the roof off the Xcel Energy Center.
Though he wasn’t able to be on the ice for Game 3 between the Wild and the Dallas Stars — the 24-year-old winger tore his anterior cruciate ligament for the fourth time earlier this month — Shaw still did his part on Friday night at Xcel Energy Center.
He joked that it was way more nerve wracking than playing in an actual game. He wrote something out earlier in the day and threw it out the window as soon as he started talking.
“I was so nervous because I wanted it to be something that could get everyone loud,” Shaw said. “Our fans are so great, and anytime I can help out and get them loud, it’s really cool.”
It’s been a tough few weeks for Shaw. He turned awkwardly during an April 1 game in Las Vegas and said he felt like everything in his left knee exploded. After giving himself 48 hours to feel sorry for himself, Shaw vowed to attack the recovery process and come back better than ever.
He’s already done it a few times so it’s hard to doubt him at this point.
As of right now, though, Shaw isn’t able to do too much. He had surgery last week and is resigned to using his crutches for the foreseeable future.
Though he still can’t skate — it’ll be awhile before he can do that — Shaw has still been around the Wild as much as possible. He was spotted along the glass at TRIA Rink in downtown St. Paul during the practices leading up to the playoffs. He was spotted near the bench on Friday morning as his teammates took the ice.
“My biggest support system right now is the guys in the locker room,” Shaw said. “It sucked when they were on the road and I was stuck at home. Just getting to come to the rink this morning and see all the guys put me in way better spirits. The camaraderie has always been the greatest part of hockey for me.”
As important as it’s been for Shaw, coach Dean Evason said it’s been equally important for the Wild as a whole.
“We wanted to have him around and part of the team and all that kind of stuff,” Evason said. “You know, guys like that, they give the group a lot of energy and a lot of life. Regardless of if he can get on the ice or not, his energy level is good for our hockey team.”
His teammates agree that having him around provides a major boost.
“It’s great to have him a part of the locker room,” winger Brandon Duhaime said. “He’s always got a smile on his face. He’s always positive. He’s always fun to be around. He’s doing his part of keeping everyone excited.”
There will be a day in the future that Shaw lives out his dream of taking the ice for a playoff game. He’s ready for that moment. In the meantime, though, he’s happy to do his part.
“You almost get a little bit emotional not being out there,” Shaw said. “It was a really cool how I got asked to do that. I figured I could still do my part to try to get everyone fired up. I’m glad I could help out.”