Photo: @YouthHockeyHub
This weekend was the annual alumni weekend for the renowned Warroad High School hockey team. The annual event typically includes a golf outing and banquet, but this year’s event had and extra special addition on Saturday night – the retirement of Washington Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie’s Warroad high school number 19.
Oshie moved from Everett, Washington to Warroad, Minnesota following his sophomore year in high school, in order to continue his hockey career. Oshie’s uncle, Max and second cousin, Henry Boucha, also had excellent careers at Warroad.
Warroad Golf/Fish
It’s official, TJ Oshie’s #19 will never be worn in Warroad again.
Hockeytown raised his banner next David Christian, Billy Christian, Henry Boucha and classmate Gigi Marvin. pic.twitter.com/QAVNrD68SJ
— YHH (@YouthHockeyHub) July 31, 2022
Only three other numbers have ever been retired by the Warriors — Bill Christian’s No. 3, Dave Christian’s No. 10 and Boucha’s No. 16.
“I don’t think this is why you start playing hockey as a kid, but just very excited to have my number sitting up there. Moving to Warroad, my dream was just to fit in with the varsity players on the high school team, to have my number going up there is super special,” Oshie told the The Rink Live Podcast earlier this week.
Photo: @schlossmanGF
“It was the coolest thing to come from a large town where hockey is the last thing on everyone’s mind, to come to Warroad where hockey is just a way of life, where everyone rallies around not just the hockey team, the youth in general. Playing in this rink here, this was kind of my NHL…”
Photo: @schlossmanGF
“Two of those yellow banners — the state title ones — those are the banners that are a little more important to me, because obviously, it was winning the state championship with my boys, my buddies. But having No. 19 up there will be pretty special.”
Photo: @warroadbrand
Warroad was the first stop for Oshie and his family when he held his day with the Stanley Cup. T.J. And his family flew from Eden Prarie to Warroad early on the morning of July 24, 2018, for an opening event at the Warroad Gardens and Olympic Arenas, the same place where his number was retired tonight.
1 more thing on TJ OSHIE’s # retirement in Warroad this w/e. 1 of the gifts 4 the Celebrity Golf tourney was this T-shirt. TJ made sure that his TEAMMATES names were listed on it ! Wanted to acknowledge them in any success / awards he has recieved ! #class #TEAMme #warriors4life pic.twitter.com/87YmXmHXFL
— Cary Eades (@caryeades) August 1, 2022
Upon arrival on his day with the Cup, the Oshie family was driven from the Warroad International Memorial Airport to the Warroad Gardens and Olympic Arenas in Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidential car from 1933.
Photo: @TimNHL
Today’s alumni events began with the usual alumni golf tournament in Warroad.
Just minutes before the shotgun start of the annual Warroad Celebrity Golf Tournament on Saturday, July 30, officials from Bally Sports North announced that Warroad will host Hockey Day Minnesota for the first time.
T.J. Oshie’s Day With The Stanley Cup
By Jon Sorensen
Congratulations Osh! But what were they waiting for?
Didn’t know he also wore #19