MOORHEAD — When the Moorhead Spuds clinched their
first-ever boys hockey state championship
in March, countless photos were snapped to capture the historic night.
But one image stood out — the team’s informal, jubilant pose on the ice — and the Moorhead Legacy Education Foundation decided it should be immortalized through art.
They commissioned Minnesota-based artist Kickliy, known for live-action paintings of sporting events and nature scenes using a centuries-old gouache technique, to transform the photo into a painting. After two weeks of work, Kickliy traveled to Moorhead to unveil the artwork to several team leaders.
“I was commissioned to paint you guys,” Kickliy said as he met with the players.
“This moment can live on,” he added as he revealed the painting.
Reaction from the players was immediate:
“That is unbelievable,” one said.
“That is awesome,” another added.
“That is so sweet,” another teammate chimed in.
Kevin Wallevand / WDAY News
“You hear that you are going to get a painting and you go and see it and it opens your eyes and I didn’t realize someone could actually paint that specific moment,” said Charlie Stenehjem, the team’s goalie. “You have that image ingrained in your head and for someone to capture it perfectly is unbelievable.”
Like the original photo, Kickliy’s work vividly conveys the team’s wide range of emotions — from elation to disbelief — after achieving their long-awaited dream.
“I mean there are a lot of different kinds of paintings and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but when he opened that, it was super cool. I looked at myself right away and it was so realistic. So that is cool to see,” said Carver Hasbargen, a team leader.
“It shows how good of a year it was. We are all so tight and how much fun it was this year,” said Evan Wanner.
Kickliy said this project differed from others he’s done at live events.
“Sports offer a difficulty in the sense that most of the time I am painting the play that happened and I only have 10–15 minutes to capture it. This was different because it was capturing a moment of joy,” he said.
Prints were made from the original painting, and Kickliy signed several for the players who attended the reveal. While many of the players will move on from high school hockey, the painting serves as a lasting reminder of the friendships and memories forged on the ice.
“Really unbelievable painting and it means a lot to us as a team,” said team captain Brooks Cullen.
“I thought it was pretty cool that we not only have that photo but he captured it in a painting, and I looked for myself first and I thought it looked pretty realistic,” added co-captain Aiden Dufault.
In addition to presenting prints to the team, Kickliy also gave a copy of the painting to the family of Ethan Monshaugen, the beloved Spuds student manager who died suddenly of a heart condition just over a year ago.
At the state tournament, the team honored Monshaugen with a special jersey bearing his number, 23, during the on-ice celebration. The print presented to his family offered another touching tribute to his memory.
“My pleasure and nice to meet you all and congratulations,” Kickliy said to the team at the end of the reveal.
For more information on prints or to follow Kickliy’s work, visit:
