Minnesota Wild skate New Years Eve in a big MN Wild- LA Kings Match-Up

The Minnesota Wild will be spending New Years Eve in the Xcel Energy Center skating against the Los Angeles Kings. The MN Wild New Years Eve game has become a tradition of sorts in St. Paul, and lots of Minnesota Wild fans plan their New Years Eve around coming to the game.

This year, the Minnesota Wild Roster is going to need all of the extra encouragement they can get. The Wild faced the Kings in October and lost LAK 6- MNW 3. The MN Wild will skate against the Kings in Los Angeles tonight, and against the Ducks on Tuesday, before returning home for the Thursday Night match-up against the Kings.

Below are highlights from the October Wild v. Kings Game...

Minnesota Wild Holiday Games Series Go Well...

The Minnesota Wild played 3 home games last week at the Xcel Energy Center. Lots of hometown fans, in St. Paul for the Holidays, came out for Holiday Game Series... The Minnesota Wild Roster did not disappoint.

Although the MN Wild lost their first game last week (a Monday Dec 21 match up against the Colorado Avalanche), they played well and hung on for a final score of 4-3 Avalanche. The rivalry Wild-Avalanche Game was highly anticipated and despite skating well and handling the puck, the Wild just couldn't quite pull off a win

Two days later on Wednesday the Minnesota Wild roster skated against the Oilers, trampling them 3-1 with an easy win... Holiday Hockey Fans enjoyed watching Koivu and Cal Clutterbuck both skate great games

Finally on the Minnesota Wild Holiday Hockey Line-Up was a game against the St. Louis Blues on Saturday Dec 23rd. The Blues came out onto the ice confident and gave the MN Wild a run for their money, but in the end the Wild pulled off a 4-3 win, giving Minnesota Wild fans a very happy holiday!

Minnesota Wild Schedule: Holiday Week MN Wild Games

Spending time with all of your family have you a little stressed out? Don't worry that happens to all of us, typically my family get togethers end up looking more like a circus than a Martha Stewart Magazine. That is why this year, we all agreed to buy Minnesota Wild Tickets and take advantage of all of the Minnesota Wild Home Games over the Holiday Week...

In case your family hasn't come to this agreement here is the Holiday Week MN Wild Schedule, when I looked online yesterday there were still Minnesota Wild Tickets left for all of these games... so seriously, skip the Christmas Chaos and head the Xcel Energy Center for a MN Wild Game!

Monday Dec 21: MN Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche @ Xcel Energy Center
Wednesday Dec 23: Minnesota Wild vs. Edmonton Oilers @ Xcel Energy Center
Saturday Dec 26: Wild vs. St. Louis Blues @ Xcel Energy Center
Thursday Dec 31: MN Wild vs. LA Kings @ Xcel Energy Center

Lots of new Minneosta Wild Jerseys for fans out there for the Holiday shopping season

If any of you are like me, you have avoided your holiday shopping until the last possible second and are now scrambling to find the perfect gift... I would like to extend a very large Thank You to the Minnesota Wild Apparel Team, who have created lots of Minnesota Wild Jerseys for Fans this season. I usually try to avoid being the MN Wild Fan that has a million pieces of Minnesota Wild Apparel, I guess I'd like to think of myself as a hockey purist and don't really think you need 4 Mikko Koivu Jerseys....

However, right now there are about 10 MN Wild Jerseys I really want. Here are pictures of just a few:

Minnesota Wild Roster skates a great game to beat the Canadiens

The Minnesota Wild have had less than a perfect season, with several losses and some very sloppy skating early on, it was becoming hard to call myself a true Minnesota Wild fan...

Last night helped to change that, The Wild skated against the Montreal Canadiens, winning 3-1. Mikko Koivu provided strong leadership on the ice, directing most of the MN Wild offense. "Early in the game, you get the lead and you get the team going, and I think it's important on the road," Koivu said. "We did a pretty good job defensively, even if they had a lot of shots. In the third period we tried to keep it tight in the middle, and obviously Backstrom played a great game so that always helps."

Niklas Backstrom had a great game, blocking several shots and taking his personal winning streak to 4 games, while the Minnesota Wild are currently on a two game winning streak and are hopeful to extend that tonight with a game against the Senators.

Minnesota Wild Jerseys make great Holiday Gifts

Are you a Minnesota Wild Fan? Do you have Holiday Gifts to buy? Are you making a Holiday Gift wish-list... look no further, I have the perfect gift idea suggestion:

Minnesota Wild Jerseys

Anyone who even remotely resembles a MN Wild fan would love to get a Wild Jersey, trust me.. most of the people on my list are getting one. The plus side to the Jersey Gift Idea, there are LOTS of places to get Minnesota Wild Apparel. First of all, The Hockey Lodge at the Xcel Energy Center. The X is the home of the Wild so it just makes sense that it would be the home of the best Minnesota Wild Gear. Second, the Hockey Lodge at the Mall of America, closely tied to the store at the X if you are brave enough to head to Mall of America during Christmastime, there are great deals to be had. Finally, for those of you who hate the cold, snow and other holiday shoppers I would like to suggest ONLINE shopping... awesome deals, easy shipping and NO LINES! If Minnesota Wild Apparel doesn't do it for you my other gift suggestion...

Minnesota Wild Tickets

MN Wild drop to last in NHL Northwest Division Standings

I hate to write about the Minnesota Wild losing, it feels like throwing bad karma out into the Hockey Universe... However, if I didn't write about losing this season I would not have much to write about. With a 13-14-3 record, the Wild have not had the dramatic turnaround that some expected with the roster and coaching shake up.

In fact, the Minnesota Wild have dropped to last in the Northwestern Division. But the Edmonton Oilers are just a game ahead of us, definitely within our reach. In much better news however, the MN Wild are not the last in the Western Conference, the Wild Roster skated ahead of the Anaheim Ducks this past week.

This weekend the Wild takes on the Flames and the Cannucks. If they can pull out two big wins, they would no longer be last in the Northwestern Division... I guess I know what I'm asking Santa for.

MN Wild beat Predators 5-3 and skate a great game

The Minnesota Wild have been skating really well, something that was very apparent on Saturday night, when the MN Wild took on the Nashville Predators in Nashville. Last night's win was the second time the MN Wild roster has handed to the Predators this week.

On Wednesday, the Wild played the Predators at the Xcel Energy Center, beating them 5-4 in overtime. Last night the Wild skated even more confidently and beat the Predators 5-3, though critics said the Wild dominated the game more than the score appears.

Wild Coach Todd Richards seemed pleased with his team and will spend this week on the road with his team on the 5 game road series. MN Wild Tickets are available to all of these games, perhaps an early gift from Santa?

MN Wild roster, give up skates for aprons to help at annual charity event

The Minnesota Wild roster spent Monday off the ice and in the kitchen. Monday was the annual Wild About the Children event which is a benefit for the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. This year's event was hosted by the MN Wild and R.F. Moeller Jeweler. The event which featured the MN Wild roster as celebrity waiters raised $100,000.

“We are grateful for the continued support of the Minnesota Wild and are proud to count them as part of our team at Children’s,” said Alan L. Goldbloom, MD, President and CEO of Children's of Minnesota. "Wild About Children is always a fun event, and it plays an important role in helping us provide the best care possible to all of the children and families that we serve."

Look for the MN Wild to be back on the ice the rest of this week as they take on the Predators and the Ducks at home.

MN Wild vs. New York Islanders tonight at the Xcel Energy Center

The Minnesota Wild have returned home after a long and grueling road trip. Tonight the MN Wild take on the New York Islanders at 7:00 in the Xcel Energy Center. There are still MN Wild Tickets available for this game, so why not spend Friday at the X cheering on our team!

With Martin Havlat out due to an injury, and Nathan Smith called up from the Houston Aeros to replace him, the Wild Roster is going to need all the fan support it can get. MN Wild Head Coach Todd Richards has made it clear, he does not want to see the Wild stay at the bottom of the standing any longer which is why in his words it is time to get tough with the players.

My prediction... anyone on the Wild roster who plays more than about 5 minutes of crappy ice time will be off the ice for the night. Todd Richards needs to prove his new style of Wild Hockey can win, if not he is toast.

Check out local sites like Ticket King, for Wild Tickets to tonight's game or buy Wild Tickets on the street as you make your way to X!

The Minnesota Wild had a rough road trip, but are home at the Xcel Energy Center next week

The Minnesota Wild are wrapping up a long road trip this weekend. The series started on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The MN Wild roster was skating strong after a great win against the Stars. The final score on Tuesday was Wild 5- Maple Leafs 2.

After a strong road win, which has been rare for the MN Wild this season, Wild fans were hopeful that the Wild roster was ready to step up their road game play. But this did not happen, the Wild played the Lightening on Thursday losing 4-3, and the Washington Capitals on Friday losing 3-1. It seems that the Minnesota Wild need to learn to play without the support of a hometown crowd. The Wild take on the Hurricanes tomorrow before returning home for a streak of home games.

Next week look for updates for the MN Wild home series

MN Wild beat the Stars at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild

What a game, what a game. The Minnesota Wild played the Dallas Stars at home in the Xcel Energy Center on Saturday night. The game started out strong for the Wild, which was quite the contrast from last Thursday's game against Vancouver that started out with a raggedy first period.

Saturday's game was a team win but Koivu, Clutterbuck, and Backstrom all stepped up and made huge plays that led the MN Wild to a 3-2 win. Wild Fans are hoping that this win will boost the confidence of the Wild who go on the road for the next 4 games. So far in the 2009-2010 Minnesota Wild Season the Wild are 1-8 on the road.

GO WILD!

Upcoming MN Wild Events

The Minnesota Wild Season is in full swing, in case you have been under a rock and hadn't noticed... The Wild will have lots of games in Novemeber in case you are looking to go to a game at the Xcel the following dates are when the MN Wild will be home in the next month...

Nov 5: Wild vs. Canucks
Nov 7: Wild vs. Stars
Nov 18: Wild vs. Coyotes
Nov 20: Wild vs. Islanders
Nov 25: Wild vs. Bruins
Nov 27: Wild vs. Avalanche

He's BAAACK... Gaborik and the New York Rangers were at the Xcel Energy Center

Love him or hate him, Gaborik was the face of MN Wild Hockey for a long, long time. And he was back, well back for a night at least. The New York Rangers and Gaborik were at the Xcel Energy Center on Friday to play the MN Wild.

The MN Wild were out to prove that they did not need Gaborik... in my opinion they did it. The Wild roster sans Gaborik made it clear that they could win without him, with a final score of 3-2 Wild, I would say they did that. It wasn't a slam dunk win, but no one expected it to be one... Wild fans just wanted to show the rest of the hockey world that the Minnesota Wild were not one player. Mission Accomplished!

Future of the Minnesota Wild

I watched last night's Minnesota Wild game and came to the conclusion that by the NHL All Star Break, the Minnesota Wild is going to be a solid team that contends for a NHL Playoff spot. Last night, during the game versus the division leading Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild showed flashes of GREAT hockey! The new system is both much more fun to watch as well as much more effective in the new NHL. Don't panic yet Wild Fans, the Minnesota Wild has too much talent to not adapt to the system of Todd Richards and become a very competitive team. GO WILD!!!

MN Wild Skate in their New Wild Jersey for the first time this week

I leaked the 3rd MN Wild Jersey earlier this summer and noted how the old school feel really gave a "land of hockey" feel to the Wild.

Fast-forward to now, the newest slogan, "It's in our blood" echos the same sentiment, the Minnesota Wild are trying to brand themselves as "our" team, and in my opinion they are doing a really good job. At last night's game the MN Wild skated in their new green jerseys, with Mikko Koivu showing off his new Captain's C on his sleeve.

The Wild will be wearing the new look again this Saturday in case you missed in on Wednesday. Fans responded well to the newest Wild Look and it will be just a matter of time before you see the Xcel Energy Center filled with this new Wild Jersey.

MN Wild hit the road for a tough series of games

The MN Wild are hitting the road for some tough match-ups that will put the new "up-tempo" hockey style the Wild are playing to the test.

This Friday the MN Wild cross the boarder to play the Edmonton Oilers, then they take on Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. Both of these teams have been playing well and the MN Wild are going to have to skate hard if they want to come home with wins.

The Wild roster and coaches will be back in the Twin Cities next week for a huge game against rivals the Colorado Avalanche. MN Wild Fans are eager to play against the Avalanche and are hoping to start the season off with a big win against conference rivals.

MN Wild Tickets are available online for all of these games but as the home game gets closer they are sure to go fast!

The Minnesota Wild beat the Ducks in the Wild Home Opener

It took a little extra time but the the Minnesota Wild beat the Anaheim Ducks in front of a home town crowd on Tuesday night at the Xcel.

After the scoreless first period, most of the fans in the X were thinking, "Why did I skip the Twins Game?". Then things got scary in a second period rally the Ducks put in 3 unanswered goals. Wilds fans gasped as they hoped and prayed that Todd Richards new style of hockey was going to kick in and work.

And then the third period came... and after a penalty left the Wild down players, John Scott scored starting the comeback that would end the third period with a tied game and force the Ducks into OT. Andrew Burnette put the winning goal in with just under two minutes left in overtime, giving Todd Richards his first Wild Win. Although the game was close, Niklas Backstrom made 16 impressive saves and much of the credit for the evening should go to him.

The Wild play next on Thursday, taking on the Kings on the road.

What will the 2009-2010 Minnesota Wild Season look like?

With the MN Wild Home Opener against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday October 6th at 7:30 at the Xcel Energy Center many critics are getting their last bets in as to how the game will go and what the season is going to look like.

I am trying this Wild season to be realistic, we have young players and a new coach... I think it is going to take some time to mesh as a team and really skate well together, throw in a new game plan, Todd Richard's Up Tempo Hockey, I think analysts are right we may be looking at more losses than wins until the Olympic Break. But I do think the MN Wild can do it....

There is a poll on the left column that you should all look at and vote on, How many wins do you think we will get? As I get answers I'll post... feel free to comment about what you think the Wild need to do to ensure a MN Wild winning season!

See you on Tuesday Wild Fans!

Minnesota Wild Home Opener should be a great game

The Minnesota Wild have a new coach, new players, a new jersey and new marketing... "It's in our blood" is the newest addition to the ever-changing MN Wild. I think this tag line, is a great summary of how Minnesotans feel about Hockey and how we should approach this season of MN Wild Hockey. While it is easy to point fingers and blame the coach, the players, the fans for losses, I think instead we should remember that it is a Hockey TEAM for a reason and no one entity can be blamed. With the MN Wild Home Opener less than a week away (Tuesday night at the Xcel Energy Center to be precise) I for one am getting excited for a great Wild Season.

Critics are saying that it could take as long as until the Olympic Break for the MN Wild roster and coaches to really have everything worked out and all of their ducks in a row... I say lets give them all of the time they need. Because lets face it, while its great to win, half of the fun of hockey is the experience. And we all know that the experience is much better from inside the X... I did some looking and there are still great MN Wild Home Opener Tickets left, so BUY NOW and be there as the MN Wild prove to us once again why it is in OUR blood and not just theirs!

MN Wild Pre-Season Wrap Up

The Wild ended their 2009-2010 preseason on Tuesday with a 5-4 victory over the Flyers. The Wild preseason overall was not the best, with my boys finishing 3-4. Many critics are wondering if the new "up tempo" style that Todd Richards is trying to implement will really work for the Wild Roster.

The Up Tempo game according to MN Wild writer Derek Felska left the MN Wild roster, "outshot and outgunned more often than not. A perfect example of how this up-tempo style is not exactly producing a decidedly more offensively aggressive team is the fact Minnesota was outshot 19 to 32 in their game against Chicago on Friday night, and 18 to 21 against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday of that same week."

Many critics are concerned that after watching the MN Wild struggle through several disappointing losses that could have been avoided and two one goal games, Todd Richards may have tried to change too much, too fast. I for one think that the preseason was a good chance for TR and the rest of the Wild to get the kinks worked out and now it is time to start judging... my feelings, lets give the new Wild style a chance to work.

MN Wild take on the St. Louis Blues at the X

The Minnesota Wild will play tonight at the Xcel Energy Center against the St. Louis Blues. The game starts at 7:00.

A MN Wild press release said that Wild Head Coach Todd Richards was pleased with the practice yesterday and is looking forward to a Wild Win. Niklas Backstrom, the starting goaltender on the Wild Roster, is expected to play the entire night in the net. Cal Clutterbuck and Martin Havlat are also expected to see ample ice time tonight.

There are still great deals out there for Minnesota Wild Tickets including seats I found online for $10 from online ticket brokerage Ticket King, who has an office located conveniently just a block from the Xcel Energy Center. Tonight's match-up should be a good one, if you are a Wild fan at all don't miss this chance to take advantage of cheap MN Wild Tickets before prices go up!

Go Wild!

Minnesota Wild vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

The Minnesota Wild took on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, losing 1-5 in a disappointing game. The Wild went the first two periods without scoring, leaving fans biting their nails that the game would be a total shut out. Finally in the third period the MN Wild managed to squeak out a single goal, but with a 4 goal lead the Blue Jackets had the game in the bag.

Minnesota Wild Head Coach Todd Richards probably doesn't have to be too worried just yet. The MN Wild came into this game with 2 Consecutive Shut-Outs. With the season as long as it is, the MN Wild will have to shake off this disappointing loss and look to the future if they expect to play strong going forward. With back to back games later this week the MN Wild will have a shot to prove last night was just a fluke.

Minnesota Wild Players named to several award watch-lists

The 2009-2010 Hockey Award Watch-Lists have been released and several MN Wild roster members appear, with the pre-season quickly approaching it will be interesting to see how these players perform when they start skating....

Vezina Trophy- Top Goaltender
MN Wild Niklas Backstrom was a runner up last year. If he can prove this season that his stats reflect his own talent and not that of a good defense it is likely he will win

Norris Trophy- Top Defensman
a few MN Wild players are in the running but the most likely winner is Brent Burns

Selke Trophy- Top Defensive Forward
MN Wild Mikko Koivu, need I say more


Hart Trophy- League MVP
MN Wild newcome Martin Havlat

Minnesota Wild Training Camp is just days away

The Minnesota Wild will be attending their preseason training camp in 10 short days with the first preseason game on Wednesday September 15th. The Wild's training camp will have a very different look this year with a new general manager, a new head coach and a total shake up on the Wild roster.

Critics are saying that all of the change is good for the wild and likely will help them end the season in higher standing than they did last season. However, I have to wonder if changing everything at once may make it hard to put back together so quickly. Training camp will be an excellent chance to see if the "New Wild" as Todd Richards is calling it is really as good as it has been cracked up to be. With September 15th only two weeks away, I'm one MN Wild fan who can not wait to see if this is the season we end up on the top!

Minnesota Wild's 3rd Jersey leaked...

Although the Minnesota Wild were planning on releasing the 3rd jersey at the Minnesota State Fair on Sunday at the Wild Booth fans some how got a hold of the look and have leaked it online... as a MN Wild Fanatic, I feel it is only right to continue the spread of the new jersey.

I have to say that I like the newest look, which in many ways is very OLD HOCKEY... with the deep green and cream accents, it is definitely a vintage look. The diagonal cursive writing instead of the typical sports block printing gives the new Wild Jersey a old-school feel that makes me think of the kind of jerseys my dad was wearing when he played hockey a million years ago. My guess is that lots of MN Wild Fans are going to dig this new jersey and scoop them up fast when knock-offs are released to the public, and knowing the trendsetters of the Twin Cities, once they have the jersey they will want to wear the jersey. So for all of you real Wild fans out there who actually may want MN Wild Tickets to see the game (instead of be seen at the game) I would recommend buying tickets pronto!

MN Wild Goalies ranked in Top-5 of Northwest Division

NHL Sports Writer Joesph Gunther released his analysis of the best goalies in the Northwest Division this week. Taking two of the five spots were MN Wild starting goalie Niklas Backstrom and backup goalie Josh Harding.

MN Wild Josh Harding took the No. 3 spot, due to his high save percentage and goals against average. Gunther wrote that Josh Harding has definitely shown he could be an NHL starter and that although he has seen limited game time, his stats are just as good if not better than the starting goalies in the division. Josh Harding is on the watch-list for several analysts and coaches to be a potential trade.

The No. 1 spot on this list went to none other than MN Wild Niklas Backstrom. Gunther reported that the Vezina Trophy finalist was one of the best in the entire league finishing last season in the Top 5 for wins, goals against average, save percentage and shut-outs. With 8 shut-outs MN Wild fans are hopeful that the 2009-2010 Wild Season will be just as successful for Backstrom.

With the Wild Season Opener just a short ways away, Wild fans won't have to wait much longer to see how the off-season and training camp helped the Wild roster get ready to come back to the Xcel!

Wild vs. Red Wings Tickets

The Minnesota Wild Schedule this season is awesome! From the opener to the very last game of the regular season the Wild pulled a great draw.

The Wild vs. Red Wings games are going to be especially great this season. Although the two teams don't meet up until later in the season, the first Wild vs. Red Wings match up is Thursday January 21st at the Xcel Energy Center. They meet up again at the Xcel Energy Center on Wednesday January 27th. The two teams then meet again in Detroit on Thursday March 11 and Friday March 26th.

There are tickets to be had online for all of these games, I did some looking and for both games at the Xcel Energy Center there are seats Center Ice, row 3 facing the players bench for only $100 and in Joe Louis Arena there are great seats in between the blue lines and the face off circle for $85. There are only so many great seats in both arenas so buy Wild Tickets early if you want to sit in anything better than the nosebleeds...

MN Wild player Cal Clutterbuck gears up for 2nd season

With the 2009-2010 MN Wild season quickly approaching, Wild players are getting back into the swing of working-out and skating after having spent the summer playing and enjoying the Land of Hockey. No player seemed to spend more time having summer fun than Cal Clutterbuck, last season's standout rookie. Cal Clutterbuck who started last season with Houston in the American Hockey League, came to Minnesota to finish the season and create a name and NHL record he could be proud of.

Since last season, Cal Clutterbuck has spent a fair amount of time in Minnesota getting used to his new home and having fun. In an interview earlier this week, Clutterbuck told a reporter that he has been getting ready for this season in the same way he did last season, working out and getting in shape as well as just trying to enjoy the last few days of sunshine before he starts practice at the Xcel. One way he has enjoyed the Minnesota Summer is with a batting practice at the Metrodome with Justin Morneau of the Twins. He also had his first fishing experience on local TV with Twins great Kent Hrbek. It seems to me that this Canadian is settling in nicely to his celebrity status here in Minnesota and is going to be ready to prove that he deserves the attention. The Minnesota Wild start their season at the Xcel Energy Center on Tuesday October 6th.

Wild Home Opener happens on biggest Minnesota Sports Weekend

The MN Wild Home Opener is always a crazy game, fans who have been marking off days on their calendars waiting come out in droves to see their team for the first time. All Wild fans are geared up to watch a game and then make sideline predictions of what the season is going to be like.

What makes this season's October 6th Wild home opener even more chaotic is the fact that not only are the Wild starting their season but the Minnesota Golden Gophers are playing the Wisconsin Badgers at TCF Stadium on Oct 3rd, the Vikings are playing the Packers at home on Oct 5th and the Twins are playing thier last game ever at the Metrodome on Oct 4th... it could possibly be the biggest 4 days of sports of the year for Minnesota Sports.

What does it really mean? You better buy your MN Wild Tickets early because with this many sports fans in town the game is going to sell out for sure!

Wild sign new cetner Kyle Brodziak to a 3 year contract

MN Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced today that the Wild have signed center Kyle Brodziak to a 3 year contract. Kyle Broadziak joins the MN Wild roster from the Edmonton Oilers where he had 27 points including 3 extremely impressive game winning goals, a plus-4 rating, 21 penalty minutes in 79 games in the 2008-2009 schedule. In the 2007-2008 season, Kyle Broadziak posted 14 goals and 17 assists in 80 games.

Wild fans are hopeful that Kyle Broadziak will continue to post points and ratings like this in the upcoming MN Wild 2009 schedule.

2009-2010 MN Wild Schedule set

The Minnesota Wild and the NHL released the schedule for the 2009-2010 season. The Wild will be playing 82 games, 41 home and 41 away. The Wild season will start on Saturday, October 3rd against the Blue Jackets and the home opener will be Tuesday, October 6th against the Anaheim Ducks.

The Minnesota Wild Schedule is set up so that the team will play each member of the Northwest Division six times (three home, three away), the Pacific Division four times, the Central Division four times. There will also be 18 games against the Eastern Conference.

There will be a break in the NHL season February 15-28 for the Olympics in Vancouver. All NHL regular season play will be put on hold so that players can participate in the 2010 Winter Games.

Regular Season Single Tickets will go on sale September 12, but there is a guarantee that many games will sell out, so Buy MN Wild tickets early!

Which Wild roster members will be up to the task of fast-paced hockey?

From day one, Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher has said that he wants to change the way the Wild play hockey. Fletcher wants to see a fast-paced game that revolves around strong puck handlers and fast skating. Which is why the Wild were courting Saku Koivu to fill the second line center position. Saku Koivu, however signed with the Anaheim Ducks and Fletcher said the Wild will not be perusing any more free agents.

So now the question becomes what will the Minnesota Wild offensive lines look like, one sports critic reported that it is likely Fletcher will go with Mikko Koivu centering Martin Havlat and Andrew Brunette on the first line and James Sheppard centering Owen Nolan and Pierre-Marc Bouchard on the second line. Last season Koivu and Burnette played very well together last season and hopefully adding Havlat to the mix will only amplify this powerhouse line.

Nothing will be decided until the Wild start skating late this summer but no matter who Fletcher decides to play it is clear that come this fall Wild hockey is going to be very different, and this is one Wild Fan that doesn't intend to miss a moment of the action.

Goodbye Gaborik

It is official, Marian Gaborik is no longer a Wild player. Yesterday, July 1st, his contract with the Wild ended and he entered into Free Agent Status. He wasn't free for long though, Gaborik signed a 5-year $7.5 million dollar contract with the New York Rangers, eating up all of the cap space that had been rumored was being saved for Scott Gomez.

The Rangers are hoping that the former Wild Star, who scored 42 goals for the Minnesota Wild, will be worth the investment. When he is healthy Gaborik is considered to be one of the most elite skaters in the NHL, WHEN he is healthy. Many Gaborik-haters are saying that he is hurt more often than he is healthy and his reign on the Top 10 players in hockey list is over. I have to say that I am on the fence, at one point Gabby was the Golden Boy of the MN Wild and we all loved him, but lately his bad attitude and his hip-health have turned him into the older brother that everyone can't wait to leave for college and not come back. So while I am sad to see the last original Wild member skate to a different pond, I do have to say that this could be exactly what the Wild need to have a transition season.

Goodbye Gaborik!

Its that time of year again...

The Wild have had a very interesting early summer and with this week's NHL draft it is only going to get more interesting. New Head Coach Todd Richards is saying he wants to change the way the Wild play hockey, going for a more "up-tempo" form of the game. With that in mind, it will be important for the Wild to draft players that fit the new style.


The Wild have the number 12 draft and then don't pick again until very late in the second round. However, rumors are flying that there are several "conversations" going on with other teams about pre-draft trades and deals.

Rumors are also flying about Marian Gaborik, who will have free agent status as of July 1. In an anonymous report from earlier this week, Gaborik apparently bought a house in Vancouver and allegations of the Canucks tampering with Gaborik are starting to spread. While all parties involved deny any knowledge of the tampering, house-shopping or Gaborik's plans it is safe to say that the next few weeks will be very telling.

Maybe it is time to say goodbye to Gaborik and hello to a new feel for the Minnesota Wild and a real shot at the postseason?

Todd Richards is new Minnesota Wild coach

Well, my 17% prediction was all it took for former Gopher Todd Richards to get the nod as the new Minnesota Wild head coach. The 42 year old former San Jose Sharks assistant coach was officially named the Minnesota Wild head coach on Monday at an Xcel Energy Center press conference.

Todd Richards is known for an aggressive offense focused style of play that will couple nicely with the ideals of GM Chuck Fletcher. Todd Richards grew up in Crystal, Minnesota and played hockey for the University of Minnesota Gophers. His parents still live in the area and have got to be thrilled to have Todd Richards back in Minnesota.

It's a new day for Wild hockey! Minnesota ties make it even sweeter. Believe it or not, I am excited to get the summer over with and start hockey again.

Pittsburgh Penguins take The Cup

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins for being this years Stanley Cup Champions. What an interesting twist of fate that the Penguins were able to hoist Lord Stanley’s cup in front of the Detroit Red Wing fans when just a year ago, the roles were reversed. The hockey gods definitely have a sense of humor. It was a great game and a great final series.

Maybe the Wild will hoist the Stanley Cup one day….one day soon would be ideal for this MN Wild Freak.

Stanley Cup Final Game Tomorrow Night

It’s the 15th time in NHL Stanley Cup history that the Final Series is decided on game 7 and this series is definitely one for the history books. Have you been watching? Every game has been intense and is a reminder to me why I am such a hockey freak. I love this game!

The Detroit Red Wings are 11-1 on their home ice, during the playoffs, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are a team that is hungry for redemption after losing the Cup last year to the Wings in front of the Penguins fans. I am so excited for tomorrow nights game I can hardly wait. I bet the ticket brokers in Detroit are making a killing on this game – everyone wants to be there…including me, but I will settle for a ticket to watch the game from my couch! Man, I love this game!

Chuck Fletcher New Minnesota Wild GM, but who will he select as Wild head coach

Well, I got it right. I put my money on Chuck Fletcher getting the Minnesota Wild GM job and he did. So I am going to do the same for Minnesota Wild head coaching job (frankly I am more interested in that any way).

Rumored Minnesota Wild Head Coach Candidates and (my percentage):

Paul MacLean, in Detroit Red Wings assistant (62%)

Todd Richards, San Jose Sharks assistant (17%)

Peter Laviolette, former Carolina Hurricanes coach (13%)

Craig MacTavish, former Edmonton Oilers coach (8%)


This one seems a little harder to predict. Perhaps because I think having former Gopher Todd Richards behind the Wild bench would be cool, but I personally think that Paul MacLean has been part of organizations that are powerhouses in the NHL (Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Mighty Ducks) and I want to know the secret to their success.

Stay Tuned Wild Fans. It may be the ‘off-season’, but Wild Hockey is heating up!

Minnesota Wild GM Rumors

Any thoughts on who might be the next Minnesota Wild General Manager?

The media has been speculating on the following names:
(my personal percentage of probability is in parenthesis)

Chuck Fletcher, Assistant GM for Pittsburgh Penguins (69%)

David McNabb, Assistant GM for Anaheim Mighty Ducks (21%)

Pierre McGuire, NHL Media Guy (8%)

Tom Lynn Assistant, GM for Minnesota Wild (2%)


If it was me, I would take Chuck Fletcher. Maybe I should start selling “Pucks for Chuck” and give the money to Leipold for that new practice facility that he doesn't need.

NHL Playoffs without Minnesota Wild

The NHL Playoffs are pretty exciting as of late even with out the Minnesota Wild. I am thoroughly enjoying the Washington Capitals vs. Pittsburgh Penguins series especially with all the trash talk between sid the kid and ovie. I am also reveling at the strength of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the NHL Playoffs year after year. The Ducks are the 8th seed, but have been playing more like a top seed using their physical aggressive style of play to their full advantage.

I have to admit I am bummed that the Wild aren’t in the playoff mix, but it’s a good group of teams this season and frankly I don’t think the Wild had what it takes to be competing at this level any way. Not this year. Maybe next.

Minnesota Wild need Money

The Minnesota Wild moved their annual “Select A Seat” event for season ticket holders up a month. Usually the event is in July and this year it will be in May. What’s up with that?

I am guessing the Wild need to start collecting money from their season ticket holders. I heard that the Wild are having trouble making budget without that playoff money in the bank. Usually (when the Wild make the playoffs), season ticket holders send in money to secure Wild Playoff tickets and then when the Wild lose in the first round that unused ticket money goes toward next years season ticket deposit. So: No Playoffs = No Early $$.

I would hate to think of the Wild as a financially strapped team, but the truth of the matter is that the Wild front office was banking on playoff dollars and they didn’t get them so now they have to lure the season ticket holders into the venue and start collecting money asap.

Other poor NHL teams? The Phoenix Coyotes. I just read they had to borrow tons of money from the NHL just to pay rent. Bummer.

Another Minnesota Wild Player Hospitalized

It just seems injury and surgery are every day words for Minnesota Wild players. The latest player to go under the knife: Niklas Backstrom.

Backstom has two cysts on the bony part of his hip and will have them removed on Friday. Recovery time on this type of operation is 3 to 5 months so that means one of our highest paid players won’t be at training camp and could possibly miss the first week of the season. If Backstrom does miss the opening games and the other goalie is hot hot, will management make the switch or be kicking themselves for spending money a goalie they might not need. Oh, I see drama ahead.

Don’t forget the other Wild players that have recently underwent surgery: Derek Boogaard had a shoulder repaired, Andrew Brunette had the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee repaired and Brent Burns will have the labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder surgically repaired.

Minnesota Wild Roster

There is no question that the Minnesota Wild Roster will look dramatically different next year and I don’t usually like to play the guessing game on who’s going and who’s coming, but I think it would be beneficial to the Wild organization on many levels (team skill and fan marketing) to convince Saku Koivu (Mikko’s Brother) to sign via free agency.

Any other predictions on the future of the Minnesota Wild roster?

Minnesota Wild Starting Over - Breaking News

I sort of feel like I should have known this was coming. New owner wants to clean house, no surprise, I guess.

Minnesota Wild Season End

The Minnesota Wild Season End is bittersweet on many levels.

We won the last game of the season 6-3 and we were on a winning streak and probably playing some of the best hockey all season, but it was just too late. The Wild barely missed the playoffs. I just keep thinking if we would have played better in just one other game (like the Feb. 14 home loss after a three goal lead) it could have changed the whole season. I know you can’t go around wondering what if and chasing points, it will drive you crazy, but it sure would have been nice to make the playoffs…but then the question is did they even deserve to make the playoffs? The win one lose one team of the last few months certainly did not.

It’s also a closing of the Jacques Lemaire chapter. He and I have a love hate relationship so I am looking forward to the next era in Minnesota Wild hockey. Are you?

p.s. All the press conferences seem like Jacques made the choice to leave, but a source of mine at the Xcel Center said he was forced to leave. Hmmmmm….either way, Jacques Lemaire is gone and a new chapter will begin.

Wild Tickets

It is obvious to me that the Minnesota Wild fans understand just how important Friday's game versus the Calgary Flames is. I took a quick peak online at Minnesota Wild Tickets on my favorite Minnesota Ticket Broker website and found that there are very few available and they are relatively expensive. I think that I am going to stay at home in St. Paul and watch the game on TV. GO WILD!!!

As a side note, I have never been so fired up for the Minnesota Twins season as I am this year. I am 100% going to snag some Twins Tickets for opening weekend. Maybe, they will bring Minnesota the championship that I am afraid the Wild won't bring us this year. GO TWINS!!!

Minnesota Wild Playoff Picture

This is the most important link for a Minnesota Wild fan right now:

NHL PLAYOFF PICTURE

Its’ the NHL Current Playoff Matchups courtesy of ESPN.

For those who don’t know the down and dirty of the NHL Playoff chase, the deal is this: the top eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs. The division winners in each conference are seeded Nos. 1 - 3, and the remaining five teams are seeded Nos. 4 - 8, according to point total.

Every game is crucial for the Wild, we are still in the hunt. I check this link daily to see where we stand - no joke.

Wild Win In New York, but only once

The Minnesota Wild schedule put the Wild in New York for back to back games against the Rangers and the Islanders. After a 1-2 pathetic loss against the Rangers on Tuesday, the Wild picked up the pace last night and slammed in six goals to beat the New York Islanders 6-2.

This season has been full of ups and downs so I guess I wouldn’t expect the final month of the season to be any different. Amazingly enough, the Wild are still in the NHL playoff chase. Everyone knows I fall into the “Gaborik hater” group, but for the sake of the Wild team and the fans, I hope Marian Gaborik can provide a magic spark to get this team into the playoffs.

Wild Players Analysis

I want to add a list of Minnesota Wild players that I think did well and a list of players that did not play to potential when I saw them last Tuesday night and no, I wasn’t too drunk off the green beer (which I couldn’t find at the Xcel anyway!) to read the jersey numbers to be sure I got my ‘facts’ straight:


Players that ROCKED:

Stephane Veilleux (always hustling! Got credit for the second period goal although I am certain he didn’t touch it – it was all Skoula – hard to believe, I know)


Andrew Brunette (tons of shots on goal, great passing and setting up plays)

Mikko Koivu (more than once I saw him talking to the guys before a face-off setting up plays and just rallying the players, great leadership and his sweet backhand in the shootout rocked)


Players that SUCKED:

James Sheppard (he was sloooooow and majorly out of position on several plays, I still can’t believe Jacques let him out on the ice so many times, Jimmy may need a hockey 101 brush-up)

Kurtis Foster (wasn’t as solid as I remembered him to be, I hope he gets better with each game)

Pierre Marc-Bouchard (although he did have couple of shots on goal, they weren’t very good ones and his passes were pathetic, plus he let a puck slip right by him during crunch time, this is the NHL, that can’t be tolerated)

BIG WILD GAME ON SUNDAY! Wild vs. Oilers. It must be a hot ticket too because local broker like Ticket King St Paul hardly has any Minnesota Wild tickets for sale!

Wild Avalanche Game Intense

I went to the Minnesota Wild Colorado Avalanche game on St Patricks Day – the Wild won in a shoot-out – whew! The overall intensity of the game was high. In the first period, the Wild were crashing the net like crazy, but just couldn’t get anything to go in. The overall play was pretty physical, but the refs didn’t let the punches fly and there were hardly any penalties. Just a lot of clean checking. Derek Boogaard almost got a goal, but he is so damn slow that the goalie had time to put his pad down in front of it in the corner of the crease. I could tell Boogie was disappointed (I was sitting right behind the goal).

The Wild looked slower in the second period, but came back in the third and tied the game up 2-2 with less than two minutes on the game clock. The crowd went crazy and no one went home early. I was nervous when the Wild couldn’t put anything together in overtime and had to go to a shootout. Colorado Avs players are known for their precision shooting. I screamed out, “Show us why you make the big bucks Backstrom.” He did (for the most part) and our Wild shooters proved to be more precise after all.

Still just barely out of the playoffs . . . come on hockey gods, be kind!

Gaboriks Popularity at All Time Low

Let’s face it, if they posted approval ratings for NHL players, Marian Gaboriks would be at an all time low. Fans are sick of him, the press is sick of him, the coaches are sick of him. Need proof? Read my past blog entries where I state how disgusted I am with Marian Gaborik and his lack of toughness. OR just read the paper today – When asked about Marian Gaborik, head coach Jacques Lemaire:

“rolled his eyes….then he thought for a minute.
‘I guess if he feels like skating, he'll skate,’ he said. ‘If he wakes up and feels like skating will be a part of his day, it will be. If he doesn't, it won't.’”

Rolled his eyes? Wow – approval rating = zero. If he feels like skating, he’ll skate – sounds very Randy Mossish. The Minnesota Wild doesn’t need a diva, they need a hockey player who wants to play, wants to score, and wants to win.

Wild play in Colorado tonight – two points are needed – plain and simple.

Wild Playoff Picture

The Minnesota Wild Playoff pictures looks bleak, but only because the team is not playing well. The Wild are only three points out of a playoff spot, but they aren’t really looking like a playoff team. The defense has been sloppy, but the scoring has been even worse. What happened to pass, pass, shoot? I hope the Wild can pull off two points tonight, we need it . . . or the playoff hopes may be over.


20 games left. Stay Tuned.

Niklas Backstrom is here to stay

Niklas Backstrom inked a big contract with the Wild this week. Backstrom signed a 4 year for $24 million contract, making his the 5th highest paid goaltender in the NHL and probably the highest paid Wild player on next year’s roster. This is the most the Wild has ever paid a goalie, but it makes sense that they secured a deal. It’s no secret that Backstrom has saved this Wild team more times than ever expected and that he is respected and liked in the Wild locker room.

March’s Minnesota Wild Captain Mikko Koivu said this to the press:

"I think probably the most important thing on a winning team is goaltending, and you get a guy like that for four years, obviously it's a good foundation.”


Let’s face it, Niklas Backstrom is the best player on the Wild team and the best player should be the highest paid. I need to buy a Backstrom jersey…it will be a good investment.

Wild Better Tighten Up the Laces

The Minnesota Wild Schedule looks brutal over the next month – in fact, the Star Tribune puts it like this:

“One of the toughest stretches of the Wild's season is here, and the players had better be ready. It starts with a three-game stretch against some of the best teams in the Western Conference -- Calgary, Detroit and Chicago. After that, the Wild plays nine of the next 11 on the road.”


The players better be ready? Uh, yeah. They better. I think we will be able to tell if this Wild team is going to make it to the NHL playoffs this year just based on the next few games. Any thoughts Wild Fans?

Let’s hope for a home ice win tonight against Calgary Flames to start this tough stretch of schedule off right.

Wild Win Big over Ducks

Good game last night. No, Great game last night. Wild goalie Niklas Backstrom shut-out the Anaheim Mighty (or not so mighty) Ducks 3-0 in front of another sold out crowd at the Xcel Energy Center. The win puts the Wild 7th in the Western Conference, but just two points out of 5th and within reach of the division leader Calgary Flames.

Niklas Backstrom said: "We're getting better every night, and that's the way it should be: The more games we play, the better we should be, but we can't be too satisfied. You look at the standings; they're probably going to be completely different tomorrow."


There are 30 games to the playoffs, but the Wild are just taking it one game at a time. Next up? Let’s hope for a repeat of last night’s performance when the Wild host the Nashville Predators on Friday night. There are still tickets available from hockey ticket brokers like Hockey Tickets Minnesota. Wild ticket prices have been pretty low after the Wild had a disappointing December, but as the team starts to build steam, you can bet those Minnesota Wild ticket prices will go up as well. Go Wild!

Wild Playoff Hopes

I read this in Charley Walters column today:

The Wild held a team meeting this week and were reminded that they don't have a lot of time to make a playoff push.

Duh. You never know if Walters is telling the truth or just making a joke that’s why he is a "columnist" and not a reporter, but I hope that the Wild team managers and coaches are reminding the Wild players EVERY DAY that they have squandered away too many wins to sit back now, they need to win every game if they hope to make the NHL playoffs this year.

Good thing the Wild came out strong Tuesday night over the Maple Leafs. I wish every game looked like that.

Brunette Plays Hurt, Plays for the Team

Marian Gaborik could take a lesson or two from Andrew Brunette. Bruno played in back to back games with a banged up leg – notching two assists in the Chicago Blackhawks game and another assist during the depressing LA Kings game. In fact, he played over 19 minutes in the Kings game and looked like one of the best players on the Xcel ice.

"It's my worst fear," Andrew Brunette said after the Wild's 5-2 loss to the Kings. "It's that people will think I'm selfish. I've never been selfish. I'm not that way. I won't ever be that way.”

Those are words you will NEVER hear come out of Marian Gaboriks mouth. Now, who do you think is the true hockey player? Which player would you rather have on your team? Gaborik has got to go.

Minnesota Wild Rival

I saw this poll online – do you agree with the results?

Which team do you consider to be the Wild's biggest rival?
Vancouver: 60 %
Colorado: 14 %
Calgary: 11%
Dallas: 8 %
Anaheim: 7%

I was surprised that Vancouver received such a high percentage of the votes – I would have thought that Calgary would have received more votes and why isn’t Detroit on the list?

Anyway, there is a big game against Anaheim tomorrow night; perhaps Wild fans will consider the Ducks a bigger rival if they bounce us off the boards too much. The Wild Ducks games are always hard hitting. I am ready!

Wild score SIX goals and Win

The Xcel Energy Center crowd had plenty to cheer about last night. The Minnesota Wild finally got on a scoring streak! The Wild beat the Phoenix Coyotes at the “X” last night 6-3. The big difference between this win and many others was that the six goals came from six different players:

Marc-Andre Bergeron
James Sheppard
Owen Nolan
Andrew Brunette
Mikko Koivu
Cal Clutterbuck

That is a rare occurrence, but just proves that this team is capable of scoring a lot of goals every game because they have so many players that know how to score. This MN Wild Freak was starting to lose interest in the Wild and I think a lot of fans are cooling off toward the up and down Wild team, but the first Wild goal came just 46 seconds after the puck dropped – how’s that for winning back the fans? Minnesota fans want exciting hockey and we got it! Go Wild!

Backstrom Saves…Again

The four game road trip is starting out well. 2-0. The Wild had a great win over that Avs on Sunday 2-zip and then Niklas Backstrom had another great night between the pipes in Boston last night as the Wild shut out the Boston Bruins 1-0. It’s nice to see some scoring by other guys than just the norm – In Colorado it was Owen Nolan and in Boston it was Marek Zidlicky. It’s even nicer to have good old reliable Niklas Backstrom in the net to save our pucks.

I read online that this was the sixth straight win against an Eastern Conference team. Any chances we could get re-aligned in the East? Just kidding (or am I?). Next up are the Flyers tomorrow night. Let’s go Wild.