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?