Meet MTU’s Biggest Little Hockey Fan

In her individual phrases (with aid from Mom), Husky Hockey super admirer Jade shares the scoop
on her rink routines, cool admirer cutout and bestie Blizzard.

“Blizzard life at the hockey rink at Daddy’s operate. Hims sleeps there,” reported Jade, whose father Dallas Steward is an assistant mentor for the Michigan Technological University Huskies hockey workforce.
Because 2017, at the ripe old age of eighteen months, Jade has donned MTU’s signature black-and-gold
“over-hauls” to cheer on the workforce and shell out high quality time with her buddies, like mascot Blizzard T. Husky,
the Huskies Pep Band and Mitch’s Misfits. 

This period, which would have been the youngster’s fourth cadging popcorn and sweet
(no one particular can say no to her, states mom Janet Steward) and socializing with her broad circle
of arena friends is considerably from typical due to the fact of well being and safety protocols related to
the pandemic.

“I often go to all the hockey game titles, due to the fact I appreciate Blizzard, but I can not go this
calendar year, so Mama took a photograph of me to set by my close friends in the chairs at Daddy’s game titles,”
Jade reported. “My daddy is a mentor. He is on the bench with the hockey boys. He teaches them how to
skate. And I appreciate Blizzard, him’s my buddy.” 

“We ended up not ready to see the cutout first, but the link gave us some excellent guidance
and guidance on how to pose and take the ideal photograph for the format,” reported Janet.
“It was quite effortless and uncomplicated.” 

The Stewards, who met in 2012 in Janet’s hometown, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, moved
here in 2017 from Chicago, wherever Dallas was an affiliate head mentor for the U.S. Hockey League’s Chicago Steel. Jade’s honorary mascot part arrived naturally. “After we attended our first home recreation
and noticed the pep band all dressed up in their band stripes I knew I experienced to get a pair for Jade to use
to the game titles,” Janet reported. “The band lovingly calls her ‘Baby Stripes.’ She waits
following the game titles in the hallway to give them higher-fives as they depart the stands.” 

The Steward relatives is loving daily life in the Keweenaw. “People are so welcoming up here
and there are so a lot of cool, exceptional, outdoorsy matters to do. I really feel like we have been
officially adopted as section of the MTU relatives,” Janet reported.

Jade’s most loved elements of the recreation are cheering with the Misfits, running about the
rink and tracking down Blizzard for additional hugs. Janet has most loved times, way too. “When
they perform the Lion King soundtrack and keep the kids up like newborn Simba, it truly is so cool
to see all the fired up kids on the large monitor! My personalized most loved is the chant following
we rating a target. But Jade enjoys and is aware them all,” Janet reported. “One evening following
a hockey recreation — Jade was about 2 years old — I experienced to operate into the grocery keep
and get a handful of matters and she was singing ‘IN HEAVEN THERE IS NO BEER, NO BEER!’ at the major of her lungs. It made a bunch of men and women chuckle, and I experienced to reveal to
them that it was a chant they do at the hockey game titles.” 

Jade is also partial to the giant Michigan Tech flags the Misfits wave, hitting the
cowbell and receiving her confront painted “like Blizzard’s whiskers.” “I sit with Haley,
Lexi, Jenny and Michael at the game titles,” Jade reported. “My buddy Matt used to be there, but him’s again home due to the fact he acquired a position.” (Jade’s talking about former Misfits president and without end Husky Hockey admirer Matt
Cavender ’18). “From time to time I get to go with Manda and Karissa and wave at Daddy on the bench,” she continued, naming two Misfits who sit guiding the workforce. “And I appreciate Blizzard so substantially!” 

Janet appreciates the feeling of local community that prevails at the game titles. “The students
are so specific here. They go out of their way to take treatment of Jade and are often
keen to view her or cling out with her for a although so I can rest from chasing her
about the rink,” she reported. “I really feel like hockey, especially here at Tech, is one particular large
giant relatives. We appreciate it here, and appreciate becoming ready to make these specific memories.” 

Jade’s Professional Strategies for Your Initially MTU Hockey Game

When Huskies can gather together once again, Jade’s recreation-working day tips will undoubtedly occur in helpful:  

• Get to the recreation early. “Sometimes we are late and have to wander a very long way in the snow,
  and that is chilly.” 
• “Find Blizzard and take your photograph with hims. Hims is nice, and is a buddy for
  everybody. He is not scary.”
• “Bring your bell (cowbell) to ring and your shakers.” (Jade prefers the black and gold pompoms from University Images.)
• “Yell loud so the boys (hockey players) can listen to you. Clap when they rating a target
  and convey to the fellas ‘good position!’”
• “Find Haley (Michigan Tech Community Protection police Sergeant Haley Bianucci). She presents you stickers.”

The skate-with-the-Huskies offered for kids following some of the home game titles are often
a spotlight. Jade likes skating, period of time. “I’m faster than you, Mom,” she reported (Janet
agrees). Apart from hockey, Jade’s most loved matters contain gymnastics, dancing, sledding,
the Frozen films and her Barbies. “I like to trip my scooter, way too,” she included.

“I want to be a hockey participant, a health practitioner and a dancer when I increase up. I am only a minor
large now, but sometime I’ll be large.”Jade Steward

 

 

“We have been observing the game titles on the net at home, and it will be entertaining to see if Jade can see herself in the stands,” reported Janet.
“I also imagine it is a cool detail for my husband, the coaching workers and the players
to see — that even though we can not be there in individual, we are cheering the workforce on
in spirit. 2020 was these a really hard calendar year. This is a super entertaining memory that we can keep
without end. I am planning on hanging it in her space following the period is more than.” 

Retain up with the Hockey Huskies recreation schedule and other news on the Michigan Tech Athletics web-site.

Michigan Technological University is a public exploration college, home to additional than
7,000 students from 54 international locations. Established in 1885, the University gives additional than
a hundred and twenty undergraduate and graduate diploma courses in science and technological innovation, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, well being professions, humanities, arithmetic, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Higher Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a handful of miles from Lake Excellent.