Another in a series featuring tales of the most passionate Wolves fans.
By Danny Karmin
Patrick Downey couldn’t describe his emotions. He was about to make one of the most monumental decisions of his life.
As he drove to the house of his long-term girlfriend, Kathryn, Patrick couldn’t wait any longer.
The couple planned on attending a Wolves game that spring night in April 2018, the place where the two had shared many endless memories.
As Patrick arrived at Kathryn’s place, the nerves really started to kick in.
With her Wolves jersey on, Kathryn got into the car, jubilantly awaiting the Wolves’ regular-season finale and another great memory to spend with Patrick.
Only the memories now will last a lifetime.
Patrick, with a ring in hand, proposed … and the rest was history.
Now engaged, Patrick and Kathryn were in the best place they could be to celebrate their love: Allstate Arena.
He acknowledges Wolves games are where the two grew their relationship the most over the years. He also credits himself for turning Kathryn into a passionate hockey fan.
“I think it really helped us connect more,” Patrick said. “It really got us closer just to be at the games and talk with other fans, which I’m very proud to know as real friends to this day. I never would have thought that the people who would be at my wedding were actually Wolves fans. It’s really special.”
To cap it off, Wolves Senior Executive Vice President Wayne Messmer, who Patrick and Kathryn have gotten to know well through their involvement with the booster club, ordained their wedding ceremony in 2020.
“We coordinated with him during the pandemic and we told him beforehand we wanted him to officiate our wedding, and he was all for it,” Patrick said. “You couldn’t have asked for a better day.”
Patrick’s Wolves fandom goes back years. He first attended a game in 1998 when he was a member of the Boy Scouts and his troop sat in the 200 level. Patrick was hooked right away.
His interest in the game never wavered but as the years went on, attending games had a different meaning to him.
In 2016, Patrick’s grandmother battled stomach cancer and it hit the Downey family hard, especially Patrick.
Through her battle, Patrick needed a release and an environment to put his mind at ease. He started attending Wolves games more consistently and found himself at the rink more often than not.
“I needed something to take my mind off of it,” he said. “The Wolves were the perfect medicine for me to cope with what I was going through, for sure. And I told some of the Wolves staff, ‘you guys helped me a lot, getting through a difficult time.’ ”
Patrick purchased his first set of season tickets in 2016 in Section 102 and has enjoyed the ride ever since.
“I love being a part of this wonderful fan base,” he said. “The friends and family that you get to be a part of, for those moments, you see the same people that come to the games. And I always take a moment to say, ‘hi.’ I like to listen and talk to people, that’s just who I am as a person. And the Wolves have done a great job overall for making fans feel comfortable.”
Patrick was honored as a Hometown Hero at a game in 2021 for his hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He has worked as a Receiving Technician for Pharmscript, LLC since 2019 and most recently transitioned to a Purchase Coordinator.
Part of his duties included receiving medications and re-stocking the shelves in the nursing facilities to ensure the patients were always taken care of.
In the moment when he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Messmer on the ice for the National Anthem, it all hit Patrick. His grandma, who passed in 2016, had instilled the Wolves’ next super fan and local Hometown Hero, for whom he credits her so dearly.
“She’s looking down and proud of me for having this accomplishment,” Patrick said. “That’s amazing. Yeah, I was very proud.”
