The Tourney at 75: Five venues of historical coverage

We're not going to tell you what a gallon of gas was in the winter of 1945 or what was popular at movie theaters. For this nostalgic piece, we'll let the fine print do the talking. Or, at least, the newsprint.

As the Minnesota boys' hockey state tournament gets underway for the 75^th edition Wednesday morning it remains true just five venues have hosted the event: The St. Paul Auditorium (1945-68); Met Center (1969-75); The St. Paul Civic Center (1976-98); Target Center (1999-2000) and Xcel Energy Center (2001-present).

The basics of hockey have largely remained unchanged in that time. So, too, have newspapers. The pages might be smaller, the pictures much clearer. And chances are you're reading this on a hand-held smart computer. But at the root of it, good old-fashioned newspapers still have a place as the word of record.

Here's a look back at how the Minneapolis newspaper covered each year of The Tourney during the first season at each unique venue.

1945: St. Paul Auditorium

Winner: Eveleth over Thief River Falls

1969: Met Center

Winner: Edina over Warroad (overtime)

1976: St. Paul Civic Center

Winner: Grand Rapids over Richfield

1999: Target Center

Winners: Roseau over Hastings (Class2A); Benilde-St. Margarets over East Grand Forks (Class 1A)

2001: Xcel Energy Center

Winners: Elk Rover over Moorhead (Class 2A); Benilde-St. Margaret's over Rochester Lourdes (Class 1A)