The Ogden Mustangs hockey team usually plans its military appreciation for a weekend of home games near Veterans Day. They have historically done some type of military appreciation.

This year, the 43-day government shutdown prompted the organization to add to its plans for honoring veterans and active-duty service members.

“We knew that they weren’t getting paid, and basically doing their duties for free,” team owner Sean Wilmert said.

The organization didn’t know how long the shutdown would last, so, in addition to its previous plans, the Mustangs gave out 400 free tickets for each game Friday and Saturday at the Weber County Ice Sheet to active duty military. Saturday night, the organization also had free food and beverages for military members.

Several local restaurants, including UTOG Brewing in Ogden and Westside Pizza in Layton, pitched in for Saturday night.

“It’s always a good event, it’s always a great event with military appreciation. But this one was extra special,” Wilmert said.

Before each game, veterans, current service members and others brought out a massive, 100-foot-by-160-foot American flag for the national anthem. The Ice Sheet’s main rink, where the Mustangs play home games, is not that much larger.

“75 to 80% of that ice is covered,” Wilmert said.

The organization gave away challenge coins to military members at the game, along with flags and USA bracelets to the first 400 people through the door each night.

Though the government shutdown technically ended right before the weekend’s hockey games, Wilmert hopes the organization’s efforts toward military members and veterans were appreciated nonetheless.

For the hockey itself, Ogden split the two-game series with the Idaho Falls Spud Kings, a team Wilmert said is quickly becoming a competitive rival of Ogden’s.

“It’s fun. Usually every time we play them, we have a sellout crowd, and it’s really becoming quite a competitive weekend and means a lot to our boys, and to our players when they can get out there and play in front of 2,000-plus fans,” Wilmert said.

The Mustangs lost 3-2 in overtime on Friday, then won 5-1 on Saturday behind goals from Reuben Clark, Hudson Weber-Stewart, Wyatt Sancibrian, Liam Sheward and Liam Waugh.

Through 18 games, the Mustangs are atop the NCDC Mountain Conference standings with 32 points, slightly ahead of Grand Junction (28 points) and comfortably ahead of Idaho Falls (23 points).

There’s plenty of hockey left, as the regular season goes through late March. Ogden’s next home game is Nov. 28 against Rock Springs.

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