Minnesota bars opening extra early Sunday for Team USA’s gold medal hockey game

At Boonies Bar and Grill in Faribault, all 11 TVs will be tuned into the U.S. men’s hockey game against Canada bright and early Sunday, Feb. 22, at 7:10 a.m.

“We’re 100 percent Team USA, and we’re here to support them,” said Tyler Musel, who manages the sports bar.

Across the state, restaurants and bars are serving up breakfast buffets, Bloody Mary bars and coffee with a kick at watch parties for the gold medal hockey game at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The game’s start time is awfully early — Italian time is seven hours ahead of Minnesota — but several bar managers said they’re expecting a crowd, nonetheless.

After the U.S. women’s hockey team beat Canada 2-1 to win gold on Thursday, many hockey fans are hoping for a double. The U.S. men’s team hasn’t won gold since the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980, though the men competed for gold in the 2002 and 2010 winter Olympics.

Both times, they faced Canada, and both times, they came up short. Fans are hoping the third time’s the charm, and they’re waking up early to see it happen.

“We’re the hockey bar, we have to [host a party],” said Rachel Ross, who works at Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub in St. Paul. “The phone has been ringing off the hook about it for the last five days.”

Also in St. Paul, Alary’s Bar and the Pillbox Tavern will be welcoming customers on Sunday.

In Minneapolis, the Rabbit Hole on Washington Avenue saw lots of business during a major televised hockey game last February, so they thought people would enjoy watching this year’s men’s game at the Olympics, too.

The bar, which has 43 TVs, is offering a special breakfast buffet Sunday for $12, with doors opening at 6:45 a.m.

“I guess we just wanted to really get at it,” said Aaron Larson, a manager and server at the Rabbit Hole. “Get up at 6:30 and cheer on the team.”

Minneapolitans can also visit Picnic, a bar and restaurant in Linden Hills, to watch the game. There’s free coffee there, spiked with Bailey’s Irish Cream or Irish whiskey, according to a Facebook post. Mimosas, pastries and Bloody Marys will also be available.

The Twin Cities has been especially tuned in to this year’s Milan Cortina Games. Through Monday, the Minneapolis-St. Paul media market is tied with Milwaukee for the highest local ratings for afternoon and primetime Olympics coverage on NBC.

It makes sense, given that 37 athletes from Minnesota or with Minnesota ties are competing in this year’s winter games.

In the Twin Cities suburbs, fans also have viewing options Sunday morning. The Croatian Hall in South St. Paul will be serving up Bloody Marys and a meat raffle during the match. In Eagan, the Trail Stop Tavern will open at 6:30 a.m., as will BLVD Kitchen and Bar in Minnetonka. Jersey’s Bar and Grill in Inver Grove Heights will be tuned into the game and so will St. Louis Park staple Bunny’s Bar and Grill.

“For better or worse, we’re a hockey go-to place,” said Tom Manley, Bunny’s manager, adding that the restaurant has had seven youth hockey teams come through to eat on Saturday as their season wraps up.

In the east metro, Lakewood Tavern in Lake Elmo has found that, judging by the excitement during the last U.S. men’s hockey game, there’s more than enough demand for a spot to watch Sunday: “We’ll have the sound on and we’ll be supporting our guys,” said Christopher Deuth, the bar’s co-owner.

The VFW Post 8731 in Monticello will have pull tabs and a full kitchen to greet fans at 7 a.m.

“We had many customers ask if it would be a possibility for them to congregate to watch our men’s hockey team play for gold,” said Todd Roberts, the Monticello VFW’s post adjutant. “Obviously, we are a VFW and we support everything American.”

The Americans are second only to Norway at the Milan Cortina Olympics in terms of medals, with 32 as of Saturday afternoon. Norway has 40, including 18 gold medals, and Italy is in third with 20.