Minnesota Wild History
The state of Minnesota was without an NHL franchise for seven years after the 1993 departure of the North Stars. That void was filled when the city of Saint Paul landed the Wild as an expansion team in 2000. Hall of Famer Jacques Lemaire took over as the franchise's first head coach.
The Wild advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2002-2003 behind the play of right wing Marián Gáborík, and has gone on to post a winning record in almost every season since. Starting with the 2012-2013 season, Minnesota reached the postseason six consecutive times.
Center Mikko Koivu spent his entire NHL career with the Wild and is the franchise's all-time leader in games played, points and assists. In 2022, the Wild retired Koivu's jersey, the first player in franchise history to have a jersey retired. Overall, the Wild has qualified for the Playoffs 13 times in its history.
Minnesota Wild Team Info
Conference: Western
Division: Central
Year Founded: 1997
Team Colors: Green, Gold, Red
Team Rivals: Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets, St. Louis Blues
Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center
Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Xcel Energy Center opened on September 29, 2000 when the Minnesota Wild took on the Anaheim Ducks, claiming a 3-1 victory. In their first nine seasons of play, the Wild hosted sellout crowds for 409 consecutive games. Accommodating up to 17,954 fans for hockey games, the 650,000 square-foot multi-purpose facility hosts more than 150 sporting and entertainment events and 1.7 million visitors each year.
