ST. PAUL (WCCO) – The Minnesota Wild will take on the Colorado Avalanche Saturday night at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, and while the puck drops at 8 p.m., business will be booming on West 7th Street for hours leading up the the start of the shortened season.

Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub is a sports bar and restaurant located two blocks from the X.

Reid, the owner and former NHL defenseman, says it’s a good day in Minnesota.

“It’s Hockey Day in Minnesota,” Reid said. “Finally we are getting underway after a lockout of 119 days.”

Reid said it’s hard to make up revenue lost because of the labor dispute, but he’s hopeful that businesses will do better during the season.

“Even with the 48-game schedule, that still gives us 24-events, plus hopefully playoffs — that’s what I’m shooting for,” he said.

The schedule will be a bit grueling for the players, playing 48 games in 99 days, and the Wild will log more air miles than any other team in the NHL this season.