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91-766: The Jr. Blazers were announced in February 2014, founded by former Central Hockey League (CHL) Oklahoma City Blazers captain Tyler Fleck. The team began play in the 2014–15 season, playing in the United Hockey Union (UHU) junior Western States Hockey League with most of its home games at the Blazers Ice Centre. On October 25, 2014, the Blazers set the WSHL's attendance record while playing at

182-612: A 3–3 tie. Minnesota native Darby Hendrickson scored the first-ever home goal for the Wild. Before the game, it was announced the team would retire the number 1 jersey, their first number retirement, with no Wild player ever wearing it, to honor all Minnesota fans, who the team claimed were the true "number one" to them. The most notable game of the year was the first visit of the Dallas Stars , who had formerly played in Minnesota as

273-660: A Minnesota-based ownership group. These efforts came close to success in the mid-1990s when Minnesota interests purchased the original Winnipeg Jets intending to relocate the franchise to Minnesota; however, arena negotiations at the Target Center fell through, and the Jets instead relocated to Phoenix, Arizona . Following the failed attempt to relocate the Jets, the NHL announced its intention to expand from 26 to 30 teams. Businessman and Minnetonka native Bob Naegele, Jr. became

364-430: A hot start to the season that saw them sitting atop the NHL standings in early December, multiple injuries to key players for extended periods effectively eliminated the team from playoff contention for the fourth consecutive year. During the 2012 off-season, the team was able to sign top prospect Mikael Granlund to a three-year, entry-level contract. During the 2012 NHL entry draft , the team selected Matt Dumba with

455-519: A nearly complete turnover in the Wild's coaching and hockey management staff. In the 2009 off-season, Marian Gaborik signed with the New York Rangers during the summer as a free agent. Team owner Craig Leipold hired former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager Chuck Fletcher as general manager. Later that summer, Fletcher selected Todd Richards as head coach. Martin Havlat

546-709: A resident of Racine, Wisconsin , completed the sale of the Nashville Predators to a local ownership group on December 7, 2007, a team he owned since the expansion franchise was awarded to Nashville in 1997. Leipold is the majority owner and principal investor in MSE, a regional sports and entertainment leader that includes the NHL's Minnesota Wild, its AHL affiliate the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, Wildside Caterers, 317 on Rice Park and

637-578: A second-round pick in 2012 to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Devin Setoguchi , Charlie Coyle and the 28th overall pick in the 2011 draft, which they used to select Zack Phillips . Later in the off-season, the Wild traded Martin Havlat for Dany Heatley in another blockbuster trade with the Sharks. In November, the team set a franchise record for most wins in one month with 11. Despite

728-605: A shootout. The team's first goal songs were " Born to Be Wild " and " Rock and Roll Part 2 " that was used in its inaugural season of 2000–01. The following season, the team removed "Born to Be Wild" but kept "Rock and Roll Part 2" through 2004, before the lockout. After the lockout in 2005, the Wild used a cover of "Rock and Roll Part 1" for the 2005–06 season. For the 2006–07 season, the team changed its goal song to " Crowd Chant " by Joe Satriani shortly after its release. After pop legend and Minneapolis native Prince died in April 2016,

819-541: A team also on a franchise-record win streak at the time. Nevertheless, Minnesota failed to win more than a game in the playoffs, losing in five games to St. Louis. Mikael Granlund led the team in points with 69, while new addition Eric Staal led the team in goals with 28. Mikko Koivu was a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for best defensive forward, while Granlund was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy . In

910-491: A team of WSHL All-Stars. On September 5, 2016, the United Hockey Union announced the formation of a new Tier I junior hockey league called the Central One Hockey League (C1HL). The league was announced to begin with the 2017–18 season. However, some of the announced C1HL teams backed out and the launch of the new league was initially postponed to the 2018–19 season. After the 2016–17 season, Fleck sold

1001-400: A wheat-colored stripe through the center of the jersey. On the arms is a wheat-colored stripe with a smaller red stripe near the top of it. The Wild kept its away jersey design the same. The Wild, along with the rest of the NHL, did not have an alternate jersey for the 2017–18 season. On September 23, 2023, the Wild unveiled an alternate green jersey based on the "Reverse Retro" look they wore

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1092-597: The 2007–08 season , including most goals and points (Marian Gaborik – 42 goals and 83 points). Also, Jacques Lemaire recorded his 500th career coaching win as the Wild clinched their first-ever Northwest Division title in a 3–1 victory over the Calgary Flames on April 3, 2008. They again faced the Colorado Avalanche in the conference quarterfinals, and the Wild held home-ice advantage. However, Minnesota came up short, being eliminated in six games by

1183-538: The 2013 playoffs . The relocation and rebranding of the Atlanta Thrashers as the "new" Winnipeg Jets in 2011 meant Winnipeg was once again Minnesota's second-closest geographical rival after Chicago, and led the NHL to reconsider its divisional alignment. Even before the NHL's return to Winnipeg, Wild management had lobbied repeatedly for a move out of the Northwest Division, where they were

1274-411: The 2018–19 season , the Wild struggled to keep up in the ultra-competitive Central Division as they had in previous seasons. Despite a renaissance year from Parise, many key players like Eric Staal and Jason Zucker regressed offensively from the season prior. Many reported that there was dysfunction in the organization, caused by a rift between Fenton, Boudreau and various players, ultimately leading

1365-540: The Buffalo Sabres in exchange for prospects Johan Larsson and Matt Hackett , as well as draft picks. The team reached the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history after a 3–1 win over the Colorado Avalanche on April 27, 2013. After finishing in eighth place in the Western Conference, the Wild lost in five games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of

1456-544: The Cox Convention Center in downtown Oklahoma City. The team defeated the Dallas Snipers in front of a crowd of 7,109 by a score of 8–3. For the 2015–16 season, the WSHL announced that they would be playing under an UHU Tier II status. The Blazers hosted the 2016 WSHL All-Star Game, the first time that the league had held the event. The format for the 2016 All-Star Game featured the Blazers taking on

1547-532: The ECHL had accepted the Central Hockey League's remaining seven teams as members for the 2014–15 season , officially signaling the end of the Central Hockey League after 22 seasons. The Allen Americans , who won the last two CHL President's Cups, won two consecutive ECHL titles following the folding of the Central Hockey League. The Mississippi RiverKings, Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder were

1638-599: The Minnesota North Stars . The Wild rode an emotional sellout crowd of over 18,000 to a 6–0 shutout in Dallas' first regular season game in Minnesota since a neutral-site game in 1993. The season ended with Scott Pellerin as the leading scorer with 39 points while Wes Walz , Darby Hendrickson and Gaborik paced the team with 18 goals each. The Wild got off to a strong start in the 2001–02 season by earning at least one point in its first seven games. However,

1729-885: The National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference . The team plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center , and is owned by Craig Leipold . The Wild are affiliated with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL . The Wild were founded on June 25, 1997, and began play in the 2000–01 season . The team

1820-857: The New Jersey Devils ), and had briefly been president of the previous Central Hockey League in 1976. In the inaugural 1992–93 season the league had six teams, including the Oklahoma City Blazers , the Tulsa Oilers , the Wichita Thunder , the Memphis RiverKings , the Dallas Freeze and the Fort Worth Fire . After Levins died, the league's championship trophy (awarded to the winner of

1911-982: The Quad City Mallards , folded in 2018 in the ECHL. Brad Treliving , who co-founded the WPHL in 1996, became CHL commissioner following the merger, before leaving to join the Phoenix Coyotes . Duane Lewis was named the permanent commissioner in June 2008. In October 2013, the CHL appointed former president of the Pittsburgh Penguins Steve Ryan to succeed Lewis. On March 8, 2013, the Central Hockey League announced an expansion team in Brampton, Ontario . The Brampton Beast would become

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2002-691: The Xcel Energy Center and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Xcel Energy Center was hosted in Saint Paul. The Minnesota Wild announced a 26-year partnership agreement with the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC). The Minnesota Wild-MASC partnership is the first partnership of its kind between a private professional sports team and a public amateur sports organization. Doug Risebrough was named executive vice president/general manager of Minnesota Wild and

2093-490: The Xcel Energy Center was completed and ready for use. The Wild named Jacques Lemaire their first head coach and the team picked Marian Gaborik third overall in the first round of the 2000 NHL entry draft . Gaborik scored the first-ever goal for the Wild in their franchise debut on October 6 at Anaheim. The Wild played their first-ever home game on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers and skated to

2184-571: The "Blazers" name and other related trademarks from the owners of the former Oklahoma City Blazers that still owned the trademarks and hope to sell them a future professional team. After the completion of the 2021-22 season, it was announced that the North American Hockey League 's Wichita Falls Warriors would be relocating to Oklahoma City and the Blazers Ice Centre, beginning play as the Oklahoma Warriors in

2275-525: The "wild animal" is the north star , in tribute to the departed Minnesota North Stars as well as the state's motto L'Étoile du Nord , meaning "The Star of the North". According to The Good Point , questions surrounding the identity of the animal depicted have sparked debate amongst logo enthusiasts, earning accolades for its unique complexity in North American professional sports. In 2008, "Nordy"

2366-440: The 2005–06 season, the first season after the lockout, Minnesota finished in fifth and last place in the Northwest Division, eight points behind fourth-placed Vancouver Canucks . En route, Marian Gaborik set a new franchise record for goals in a season at 38, and Brian Rolston set a new highest point total by a Wild player in a season at 79. The goaltender controversy between Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson ended when Roloson

2457-421: The 2013 Blackhawks–Wild playoff series was seen as the rebirth of the old Chicago–Minnesota rivalry in the NHL. The 2013–14 regular season for the Wild was the best the team had since the 2007–08 season, good enough to claim the first Wild Card position. Jason Pominville became the Wild's third player in franchise history to reach the 30-goal mark, with Mikko Koivu surpassing Marian Gaborik in all-time points for

2548-534: The 2014 offseason, the ECHL accepted the remaining seven teams as members in October 2014, meaning the end for the CHL after 22 seasons. The Central Hockey League (CHL) was revived in 1992 by Ray Miron and the efforts of Bill Levins , with the idea of central ownership of both the league and the teams. Both men were from hockey backgrounds. Miron had been general manager of the Colorado Rockies (now

2639-488: The 2016 off-season, the Wild signed free agent Eric Staal to a three-year contract. The Wild also hired Bruce Boudreau as their new head coach, replacing interim head coach John Torchetti. In 2017, the Wild set their new franchise record for points (106), wins (49) and goals for (266). The Wild set a franchise-record 12-game win streak that was snapped on New Year's Eve 2016 by the Columbus Blue Jackets ,

2730-541: The 2017 off-season, the Wild experienced significant roster turnover. Erik Haula was lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft (along with prospect Alex Tuch ). Winger Jason Pominville and defenseman Marco Scandella were traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forwards Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno . Minnesota native Matt Cullen was signed as a free agent and returned to

2821-567: The 2018–19 season with a few games at the Blazers Ice Centre. In 2019, Gary Gill left the coaching position to become the associate head coach with the Columbus River Dragons in the Federal Hockey League and he named Ty Smith as the head coach for the 2019–20 season. On January 1, 2020, Gill relinquished his ownership stake in the franchise altogether and the WSHL took over operations of the team. Subsequently,

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2912-581: The 2020–21 season. The WSHL then announced it would go dormant for the season one week later. During their first season in the NA3HL, the team removed most of the Jr. Blazers branding from the logos and uniforms, often simply using "Oklahoma City Hockey Club" in its communications. Before the 2021–22 season, the team was rebranded the Oklahoma City Ice Hawks as the new ownership were unable to acquire

3003-682: The 2022-23 season. Following the announcement of the New Mexico Ice Wolves NAHL team securing an NA3HL franchise, the Ice Wolves later confirmed the purchase of the franchise from the Ice Hawks. Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which operated

3094-613: The 2023 off-season but did not make any notable trades or acquisitions, opting instead to "run it back" with the previous year's squad. However, despite breakout performances from Faber and the 2020 ninth overall pick Marco Rossi , as well as Kaprizov's third consecutive 40-goal season, injuries to nearly every player in the starting lineup hindered the team, with key players such as Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek , captain Jared Spurgeon , Marcus Foligno , Mats Zuccarello , and Jonas Brodin all missing substantial time. The Wild finished

3185-476: The Avalanche. During the 2008 off-season, the Wild re-acquired Andrew Brunette from Colorado and traded for defenseman Marek Zidlicky . The Wild also signed free agents Antti Miettinen and Owen Nolan to multi-year deals. There seemed to be a stigma about Jacques Lemaire's defensive system that caused a number of top free agents to avoid the Wild. Despite winning the Northwest Division the previous season,

3276-559: The CHL for the 2001–02 season . However, several years of gradual contraction in the former WPHL markets claimed most of these teams in the ensuing years. The last active former WPHL team, the Fort Worth Brahmas , effectively ceased operations following the 2012–13 season . Subsequently, in 2010, the International Hockey League folded and all five remaining IHL teams joined the CHL; the last of these,

3367-640: The CHL playoffs) was renamed the Levins Cup . After running the league for eight years, Miron retired in 2000 and sold the league. The Levins Cup was renamed the Ray Miron President's Cup . After experiments in expansion and an ongoing battle for players and markets with the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) throughout the late 1990s, the CHL merged with the WPHL in 2001, with 10 former WPHL teams joining

3458-647: The NAHL. Of the CHL's remaining teams prior to October 7, 2014, Tulsa, Wichita, Allen, Colorado, Fort Wayne, Missouri (now Kansas City), and Rapid City are still active as of 2023. Of the CHL's six original teams from the 1992-1993 inaugural season, only the Tulsa Oilers and Wichita Thunder remain and are still active as of 2023. Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota . The Wild compete in

3549-901: The Northwest Division. Consequently, the Wild moved into the Central Division along with the Jets and Avalanche; the Canadian teams from the Northwest moved back to the Pacific Division . The Wild now share their division with not only the Blackhawks but also the Dallas Stars , the Wild's predecessors in Minnesota, and the St. Louis Blues , another major rival of the North Stars during the Norris Division era. Thus,

3640-555: The WSHL team to Gary Gill and Cole Hudek, with Gill set to be the head coach for the 2017–18 season. Fleck remained with the team as a consultant, but would focus on the promotion of the Blazers to the new C1HL in 2018, although there was never any mention of the C1HL afterwards. After four seasons in the Blazers Ice Centre, the Jr. Blazers moved their home games to the Arctic Edge Ice Arena in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma , for

3731-410: The Wild after previous starter Manny Fernandez sprained his knee on January 20. Fernandez played for the first time since the sprain on March 6 and was removed after allowing three goals in two periods in the Wild's 3–0 loss to the San Jose Sharks . Josh Harding was brought up from the Wild's AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros , when Fernandez was hurt and remained on Minnesota's roster for the rest of

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3822-405: The Wild as they missed the playoffs in both seasons. In the 2010 NHL entry draft , the Wild held the ninth overall pick and used it to select Finnish forward Mikael Granlund . The Wild opened the 2010–11 season with two games at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki against the Carolina Hurricanes . Following the 2010–11 season, the team fired head coach Todd Richards due to the team failing to reach

3913-453: The Wild failed to advance past the first round. On April 23, 2018, shortly following the Wild's exit from the playoffs, owner Leipold announced he had fired general manager Fletcher after nine seasons with the team. Under Fletcher's leadership, the Wild qualified for the playoffs six consecutive years, but failed to advance beyond the second round. On May 21, 2018, Paul Fenton was hired as the third general manager in franchise history. During

4004-418: The Wild fell to ninth place in the Western Conference in 2008–09, missing the playoffs. Much of this was in part due to a lack of scoring and overall team offense, and the injuries to star forward Marian Gaborik, who only played 17 games. Jacques Lemaire, head coach of the Wild since the team's inception in the 2000–01 season, resigned at season's end. General manager Doug Risebrough was later fired, leading to

4095-407: The Wild finished in last place again with a record of 26–35–12–6. En route, there were signs the Wild were improving, as second-year speedster Gaborik had a solid sophomore season with 30 goals, including an invite to the NHL YoungStars Game , and Andrew Brunette led the team in scoring with 69 points. Gaborik spent much of the 2002–03 season vying for the league scoring crown before slumping in

4186-444: The Wild hired Bill Guerin as the fourth general manager in franchise history. On February 14, 2020, the Wild fired head coach Bruce Boudreau and named Dean Evason as interim head coach. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic , the Wild participated in the best-of-five qualifying round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs , but were eliminated in four games at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks . Kirill Kaprizov played his first NHL game with

4277-412: The Wild honored the Minnesota North Stars by wearing North Stars jerseys for warm-ups, despite the North Stars history belonging to the Dallas Stars . Martin Hanzal warmed up with number 91, as the North Stars retired number 19 in honor of Bill Masterton . On June 20, 2017, the Wild introduced a new home uniform, as the NHL switched from Reebok to Adidas – a green jersey with their main logo, and

4368-470: The Wild in January 2021, scoring the overtime winner against the Los Angeles Kings during his debut. On September 21, 2021, Kirill Kaprizov signed a five-year, $ 45 million contract with the Wild. As a result of the contract, Kaprizov became the highest-paid sophomore player in NHL history. In 2022 , the team set franchise season highs in points (113) and wins (53). Kirill Kaprizov set franchise records in points (108), goals (47), and assists (61). They faced

4459-460: The Wild to shore up the fourth line (Cullen had previously played in Minnesota from 2010 to 2013). Captain Mikko Koivu signed a two-year extension, ensuring he would remain with the Wild through the 2019–20 season . Following another 100-point regular season , the Wild matched up with Central Division rival, the Winnipeg Jets, in the first round of the 2018 playoffs . The Jets defeated the Wild in five games, making it three straight seasons in which

4550-416: The Wild traded goaltender Cam Talbot to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Filip Gustavsson , five days after signing Fleury to a new two-year contract. Despite a second consecutive 40-goal season from Kaprizov, the Wild struggled defensively in the early parts of the season before shifting entirely to lackluster offense and low-scoring games at the end. However, thanks to a stellar season from Gustavsson,

4641-431: The Wild unveiled a new tradition called This Is Our Ice which encourages Wild fans to bring water from local ponds, lakes and rinks and add it to the Xcel Energy Center ice. Fans can bring water to any regular season home game and add it to the collection station which will then be added to the ice for the season. Minnesota currently has two minor league affiliates: the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and

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4732-409: The club. The Wild battled goaltender problems throughout the entire season. It began with Josh Harding leading the NHL in save percentage, and goals-against average, before being placed on injured reserve for complications with his multiple sclerosis (MS). Backstrom also suffered a season-ending injury with abdominal issues. The Wild started five different goalies during the year and dressed seven. At

4823-408: The concentric circles on a predominantly white jersey; in 2013, the lettering was updated to match the home and alternate sweaters, at the same time updating the sweater's look to a more traditional design. On August 30, 2009, the team unveiled another third/alternate jersey, which is predominantly green with wheat accents. It says "Minnesota Wild" in script writing across the chest. On April 4, 2017,

4914-401: The defending Stanley Cup champions Chicago, where they were eliminated in six games. During the 2014 off-season, the Wild signed forward Thomas Vanek as a free agent. In 2014–15 , the Wild clinched the first wild card spot in the West by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks. It then defeated the Central Division champions, the St. Louis Blues, in the first round of the playoffs in six games. In

5005-468: The division rival St. Louis Blues in the first round, but despite having home ice advantage and the services of recently acquired goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury , were eliminated in six games. In the following off-season, forward Kevin Fiala was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for the draft rights to defenseman Brock Faber , while other notable players such as Nick Bjugstad and Nicolas Deslauriers were lost in free agency. On July 7, 2022,

5096-441: The facility management of Xcel Energy Center and the Saint Paul RiverCentre. He also serves as the team's Governor at NHL Board of Governors' meetings. After purchase of MSE, Mr. Leipold sold the Swarm to John Arlotta. Along with the Wild, the group has year-round management rights of the Xcel Energy Center, and currently has a management contract to manage the adjoining Saint Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium ; in addition

5187-415: The firing of head coach Mike Yeo. Under new interim head coach John Torchetti , the team snapped the losing streak but remained streaky throughout the rest of the season, managing to barely make the playoffs with a total of 87 points, the worst record of any playoff team in the shootout era (since 2005–06). In the first round, the Wild fell to the Central Division champion Dallas Stars in six games. During

5278-399: The first Canadian team in the CHL's history. In October 2013, the Central Hockey League was purchased from Global Entertainment by all the team owners, putting the CHL business model in line with that of the NHL and AHL. On May 2, 2014 the St. Charles Chill ceased operations. Soon after, the Arizona Sundogs and Denver Cutthroats suspended operations. On October 7, 2014, it was announced that

5369-409: The first month, the Wild finally got their two young star left-wingers signed, but both struggled to get back into game shape as the Wild struggled through much of November. In a deep hole, the Wild did not make it to the playoffs, despite finishing the season strong, with wins in five of their last six games as they finished last in the competitive Northwest Division with a record of 30–29–20–3. Along

5460-399: The green jersey would be gold with red outlining while on the white jersey it was red with gold outlining. In 2003–04, with the NHL reversing the convention regarding the home and road jersey colors, the green jersey became the home jersey while the white one became the road jersey. In the 2007–08 season , when all jerseys were converted to the new Reebok Edge uniform system, the white jersey

5551-449: The last of the original six franchises still playing at the end of the CHL's tenure; the RiverKings since folded, in 2018. In the 2014–15 season, ten teams (Allen, Brampton, Colorado, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Missouri, Quad City, Rapid City, Tulsa, and Wichita) were in the ECHL, two teams (Mississippi and Columbus) were in the SPHL, and four organizations (Corpus Christi, Fort Worth Brahmas, Odessa, and Rio Grande Valley) fielded junior teams in

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5642-453: The last on Patrick Roy . In the conference semifinals, the Wild beat the fourth-seeded Vancouver Canucks , again in seven games, and again after being down 3–1 in a series. In the process, the Wild became the first team in playoff history to capture a seven-game series twice after facing elimination during game 5. When the 2003–04 season started, the Wild were short-handed with both Pascal Dupuis and Gaborik holding out. After struggling in

5733-433: The late 1970s Minnesota North Stars white uniform, with the Wild logo recolored to match the team's green and gold scheme. This design was reused again in the 2022–23 season , but with green now the base color. For the 2022 Winter Classic , the Wild unveiled a special edition jersey inspired by various early Minnesota hockey teams. The jersey is primarily green with red shoulder yoke and red and wheat stripes. The front of

5824-452: The lead investor for an application to the NHL for an expansion franchise and, ultimately, the first majority owner. On June 25, 1997, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that Minnesota had been awarded an expansion franchise, to begin play in the 2000–01 season . The six finalist team names for the new NHL franchise (Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Wild), were announced on November 20, 1997. Jac Sperling

5915-510: The league from 2000 to 2013, at which point it was purchased by the individual franchise owners. As of the end of its final season in 2014, three of the 30 National Hockey League teams had affiliations with the CHL: the Dallas Stars , Minnesota Wild , and Tampa Bay Lightning . Several teams of defunct leagues joined the CHL along its history, including the Southern Hockey League , Western Professional Hockey League and International Hockey League . After two teams suspended operations during

6006-436: The league named Rick Gowin as general manager and released head coach Ty Smith to replace him with assistant Daniel Armstrong. On January 27, the league announced Jake Runey as the new owner who released coach Armstrong after the season was cancelled. Following the 2019–20 WSHL season, the team announced Josh Berge as the new head coach and general manager and that the team was joining North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) for

6097-439: The only Central Time Zone team. Among the alignments considered was having the Jets replace the Avalanche in the Northwest, but Wild management strongly objected to this alignment as it would have left them as the only American team in their division. Following protracted negotiations both amongst the owners and with the National Hockey League Players' Association , in 2013, the NHL collapsed its six divisions into four and dissolved

6188-426: The partnership also owns and operates 317 on Rice Park, which is the former historic Minnesota club. The Minnesota Wild stay involved in the community through the philanthropic activities of the Minnesota Wild Foundation and its operations to support the game of hockey with events such as Hockey Day Minnesota . It has been celebrated every year since 2007. The Wild are 13-2-1 on Hockey Day Minnesota. Started in 2017,

6279-427: The playoffs a total of 13 times, and have won one division championship, in 2008 . Following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars after the 1992–93 season , the state of Minnesota was without an NHL team for seven seasons. Saint Paul mayor (and future U.S. Senator) Norm Coleman began a campaign to either recruit the relocation of an existing franchise to the city or the award of an expansion franchise to

6370-409: The playoffs in his two seasons as head coach with a 77–71–16 record. Mike Yeo , who coached the Wild's AHL affiliate Houston Aeros to a Western Conference title in 2011, was named the new head coach. During the 2011 NHL entry draft (which the team hosted), the Wild used their tenth overall pick to select Jonas Brodin . The club also created a stir when they traded star defenseman Brent Burns and

6461-399: The previous season (see below). This set added a right shoulder patch featuring a recolored "State of Hockey" alternate logo and captaincy patches shaped after the Minnesota state outline. This was the first time that Wild had an official alternate jersey since 2017. In the 2020–21 season , the Wild unveiled a "Reverse Retro" jersey in collaboration with Adidas. The uniform was a callback to

6552-472: The season as the backup goalie. All-Star winger Marian Gaborik returned from a groin injury in January 2007 and made an immediate impact, bringing a new spark to a lacking offense. The Wild made the playoffs in 2007 for the second time in team history, but were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks in the conference quarterfinals. The Wild broke numerous franchise records during

6643-431: The season with 87 points, their lowest total since the 2018–19 season, and missed the playoffs for the first time since that year. For its first seven years in the NHL, the Wild wore a uniform of either a green or white jersey with red and gold stripes and the primary logo on the front of the jersey. The shoulder patch was a circle with "Minnesota Wild" read in distinctive lettering from both words. The name and numbering on

6734-461: The second half, and the Wild, in their first-ever playoff appearance, made it to the conference finals before being swept 4–0 by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . Previously, the Wild had beaten the favored and third-seeded Colorado Avalanche in the first round in seven games, coming back from a 3–1 series deficit and winning both game 6 and 7 in overtime. Brunette scored the series-clinching goal,

6825-410: The second round, the Wild were eliminated in a four-game series sweep by Chicago. Following the loss, forward Matt Cooke said, "Our expectations inside this room were a lot higher than [a] second-round series." In 2016, the Wild set a franchise record with the best win record in the first 41 games of the season. Immediately afterward, they went into a skid, losing the next 13 of 14 games, culminating in

6916-466: The seventh overall pick. In the same off-season, the Wild also signed unrestricted free agent winger Zach Parise , a Twin Cities native, and defenseman Ryan Suter to identical 13-year, US$ 98 million contracts. However, the team's busy off-season was overshadowed by the 2012–13 NHL lockout , which ended in January 2013. Prior to the 2013 trade deadline , the Wild acquired Jason Pominville from

7007-668: The team finished with 103 points, earning third place in the Central Division and setting them up for a playoff matchup against the division rival Dallas Stars . The Wild signed Brock Faber to his entry-level contract shortly before the playoffs began and immediately following the loss of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers to the University of Michigan Wolverines in the Big Ten men's ice hockey championship. The Wild were eliminated in six games, marking their eighth consecutive playoff series loss. The Wild re-signed Gustavsson in

7098-483: The team held a tribute to him at game 6 of the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs game against the Dallas Stars, and adopted " Let's Go Crazy " as their goal song. After a fan poll, the team permanently used "Let's Go Crazy" with the goal horn starting in the 2016–17 season. The Wild kept "Crowd Chant" as their win song. For the 2018–19 season, the team brought back "Crowd Chant" as its goal song and "Let's Go Crazy" became

7189-597: The team met the requirements to have an agreement in place during the lease term with the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. The City of Saint Paul issued an additional $ 65 million in bonds, with roughly 90% of the debt service on the bonds and the repayment of the state loan coming from scheduled rent and payment instead of taxes from the Minnesota Wild. Deconstruction of the Saint Paul Civic Center began soon after. Designs were announced for

7280-548: The trade deadline, general manager Chuck Fletcher acquired Ilya Bryzgalov from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a fourth-round pick, as well as Matt Moulson and Cody McCormick from Buffalo in exchange for Torrey Mitchell and two second-round picks in 2014 and 2016 . In the playoffs, the team would face Colorado, who won the Central Division. The Wild won the series four games to three with an overtime goal in game 7 by Nino Niederreiter . The team would then face

7371-458: The trading of several core players, such as Mikael Granlund , Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter . The Wild finished the season with 83-points, finishing last in the division and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2012. In the 2019 off-season, the Wild signed free agent Mats Zuccarello to a five-year contract. On July 30, 2019, Fenton was fired as general manager, just 14 months after being hired to that position. On August 21, 2019,

7462-508: The uniforms featured the Minneapolis–Saint Paul (MPLS.–ST. PAUL) identifier around three symbols: a red Minnesota state silhouette with "MN" inside, and two wheat stars referencing Gemini , the twin constellation. Brown gloves and pants were used to reflect early 20th century hockey gear. The team has had a goal horn each season since its inception. The Wild are one of the few teams to not blast their goal horn whenever they score in

7553-482: The way, the Wild began to gear up for the future, trading away several of their older players who were a part of the franchise from the beginning, including Brad Bombardir and Jim Dowd . The 2004–05 season was canceled due to an NHL lockout . Former Wild player Sergei Zholtok died from a heart condition during a game in Europe. Zholtok died in the arms of Minnesotan and former Wild player Darby Hendrickson . In

7644-413: The win song, followed by the singing of the team fight song "The State of Hockey". For the pandemic-shortened season, the team used " Jump Around " by House of Pain as their goal song. In the 2021-22 Season, the Wild used "Shout" by The Isley Brothers as their goal song. "Let's Go Crazy" remains the win song. The logo depicts both a forest landscape and the silhouette of a wild animal. The "eye" of

7735-480: Was founded following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars , who were based in Minnesota from 1967 to 1993 , when they relocated to Dallas , Texas , and became the Dallas Stars . The Wild made their first Stanley Cup playoffs appearance in 2003 , making a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals, but ultimately losing to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim . The team have appeared in

7826-463: Was introduced as the official mascot of the team. The franchise was originally owned by a limited partnership formed by former majority owner Bob Naegele, Jr . of Naegele Sports, LLC in 1997. On January 10, 2008, it was announced the franchise was being sold to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold . The NHL's Board of Governors officially approved Leipold's purchase of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) on April 10, 2008. Leipold,

7917-554: Was named chief executive officer of the Minnesota team, Doug Risebrough was named general manager, Tod Leiweke was named president, and Martha Fuller was named chief financial officer . The team was officially named the Wild at an unveiling at the Aldrich Arena on January 22, 1998, with the song " Born to Be Wild " by Steppenwolf playing over the arena's speaker system. The Minnesota Wild announced its first major sponsorship agreement with MasterCard from First USA . It

8008-407: Was retained and the home jersey replaced with a new one that has a small imprint of the team's primary logo inside a white circle, which is surrounded by the words "Minnesota Wild" in a larger ring against a green background. The rest of the jersey is predominantly red, with additional swatches of green on the sleeves outlined with wheat. The away jersey uses a larger version of the primary logo without

8099-474: Was signed via free agency after playing the previous three seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks in order to lessen the blow of Gaborik's departure. During the first month of the 2009–10 season, the team announced their first-ever full-time captain, Mikko Koivu . In 2009, Leipold named Matt Majka as chief operating officer of the team. The 2009–10 and the 2010–11 seasons ended in disappointment for

8190-452: Was the earliest that First USA had ever signed an agreement before a team began play (31 months). The State of Minnesota adopted legislation in April 1998 to loan $ 65 million to the City of Saint Paul to fund 50% of the estimated $ 130 million project costs for the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. The legislation also provided that only $ 48 million of the loan needed to be repaid if

8281-593: Was traded to the Edmonton Oilers for a first-round pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft . The Wild signed veteran free agents Kim Johnsson , Mark Parrish , Branko Radivojevic and Keith Carney . On the day of the NHL entry draft , it traded the 17th overall pick and prospect Patrick O'Sullivan to the Los Angeles Kings for veteran Slovak Pavol Demitra . Niklas Backstrom was the starting goalie for

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