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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 06 Goals & Assists Photos / Heartland Hockey Camp Steve Jensen has been in hockey for 55 years. He and his wife, Sandy Jensen, have been in business together running Heartland Hockey Camp in Deerwood, Minnesota for 36 years. Steve scored 113 goals in the NHL, including 42 as a Minnesota North Star. He led the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team in scoring. But what he and Sandy did this summer stands tallest: Seven weeks of camp, 542 kids from 44 states, 44 staff members. COVID free. "I think this is our greatest accomplishment, for my wife and I," Steve Jensen said. " We got through the seven weeks and not one case of COVID. That's pretty impressive." Typically, Heartland hosts around 1,200 kids aged 5-17 each summer, for weekly camps that include on- and off-ice training, lodging, dining, lake recreation and more. With safety top of mind, Steve and Sandy, along with experienced medical staff, started meeting virtually in March during the onset of the pandemic to chart a course of action. The Plan Two experienced medical professionals and hockey experts helped lead the planning, including a physician who's worked at the Mayo Clinic for over 20 years and another employed at the local clinic in Crosby. Three nurses and an EMT were also on hand. " We have excellent staffing," Jensen said. " We have very knowl- edgeable and experienced people who knew hockey and worked in the medical field to guide us along the way." To reopen safely with proper social distancing, Heartland cut capacity to 50 percent. Only one family member was allowed to attend. Four new temporary locker rooms were built inside the rink, along with 10 new dorm rooms. New rules were enforced in the dining room. Classroom and video room sizes were increased. The snack bar and pro shop were closed to prevent the chance of mass gatherings. " We also convinced our kids to quarantine two weeks before they came to the camp," Jensen said. " We were way ahead of the curve. We were creating our own little bubble way back in April." Leadership, medical expertise and buy-in pave the way forward for hockey camps Heartland's COVID- Free Summer MADE IN MINNESOTA | Heartland Hockey Camp Heartland leaned on medical professionals to help them run this year's camp safely.