Editor's note: One in a series of state tournament-related stories and excerpts from Tourney Time. Read the book for more about the many celebrities hwo have attended the tourney over the years.

Long before Tom Hanks became a mega-actor, beloved national treasure and coronavirus survivor he popped into the 1982 Minnesota state high school hockey tournament to promote his then-fledgling sitcom Bosom Buddies.

Hanks genuinely seemed to enjoy his first taste of Minnesota high school hockey, raving about the excitement and electricity filling the old St. Paul Civic Center while being interviewed after Edina’s thrilling 3-2 overtime victory over Bloomington Jefferson.

Of all the celebrities who have made appearances at the tourney — Howard Cosell and Cheryl Tiegs among them — we ranked Hanks No. 1 in our Top Ten list of Celebrity Sightings in Tourney Time: Stories from the Minnesota Boys’ State Hockey Tournament.

The list, one of 20 that appear in the back of the book, is one of our favorite snapshots of the tourney. The crew of the 93X Half-Assed Morning Show enjoyed it, too, as they spent a few minutes discussing almost all the celebrities on the list (audio linked below).

Discussion about Tourney Time's Top 10 Celebrity Sightings chart begins at 1:34:40

Authors David La Vaque (david_lavaque@yahoo.com) and Loren Nelson (loren.nelson@legacy.hockey) welcome interview requests, inquiries to speak at events and your favorite state tournament stories. 

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