50 Fun Facts About Minnesota Wild

In which season did the Wild begin play?

They were awarded on June 25, 1997, alongside three other expansion clubs.

Which Saint Paul mayor and future U.S. senator campaigned to bring the NHL back to Minnesota?

An attempt to move the original Winnipeg Jets to Minnesota fell through, and they went to Phoenix instead.

Which of these was NOT among the six finalist names announced in 1997?

Northern Lights and White Bears rounded out the list; Wild won and was unveiled to Steppenwolf's 'Born to Be Wild'.

Which Minnetonka native led the expansion bid and became the Wild's first majority owner?

Craig Leipold bought the club later and now owns it through Minnesota Sports & Entertainment.

Who was the Wild's first head coach?

He coached from 2000 to 2009 and notched his 500th career win as the Wild clinched their first division title.

Who scored the first goal in Wild history, at Anaheim in October 2000?

Hendrickson, a Minnesota native, scored the first home goal five days later.

Why did the Wild retire the number 1 before their first home game?

No Wild player has ever worn it; the fans were declared the true 'number one'.

By what score did the Wild beat Dallas in the former North Stars' first regular-season visit?

An emotional sellout crowd of more than 18,000 watched the shutout.

Which team swept the Wild in the 2003 conference finals behind goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere?

Minnesota scored just one goal in the four games.

Whose 2003 Game 7 overtime goal beat Colorado, the last goal ever scored on Patrick Roy?

The Wild had trailed the series 3-1 and won Games 6 and 7 in overtime.

What playoff first did the 2003 Wild achieve against Colorado and Vancouver?

Both series were rescued from 3-1 down.

Which former Wild player died of a heart condition during a game in Europe in 2004?

He died in the arms of teammate and former Wild player Darby Hendrickson.

Which goalie was traded to Edmonton in 2006 for a first-round pick, ending a Wild goalie controversy?

He promptly backstopped the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final.

Which Slovak veteran did the Wild acquire from Los Angeles on draft day 2006?

He joined countryman Marian Gaborik up front.

In which season did the Wild win their only division title?

Gaborik set franchise marks with 42 goals and 83 points that year.

Which team did the Wild's original franchise scorer sign with as a free agent in 2009?

Martin Havlat was signed to soften the blow.

Who became the Wild's first full-time captain in October 2009 after nine seasons of monthly rotation?

He held it until 2020 and passed Gaborik as the club's all-time points leader.

Where did the Wild open the 2010-11 season with two games against Carolina?

The games were at Hartwall Areena.

Which star defenseman did the Wild trade to San Jose in 2011 for Setoguchi, Coyle and a first-round pick?

They flipped Martin Havlat to the Sharks for Dany Heatley the same summer.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed identical 2012 contracts worth how much over 13 years?

Parise is a Twin Cities native; the deals were signed just before the 2012-13 lockout.

Whose 2014 Game 7 overtime goal knocked out the Central Division champion Avalanche?

The Wild dressed seven goalies that season, including Ilya Bryzgalov at the deadline.

Which goalie's January 2015 arrival sparked a 27-9-2 run to the playoffs?

Minnesota then beat St. Louis for what stood as its last series win until 2026.

Whose 'Let's Go Crazy' became the Wild's goal song after his death in April 2016?

It later became the win song, followed by the fight song 'The State of Hockey'.

Which coach led the Wild to a franchise-record 106 points in 2016-17?

A 12-game win streak ended on New Year's Eve against Columbus, itself mid-streak.

Which forward and prospect did the Wild lose to Vegas in the 2017 expansion draft?

Both became key Golden Knights.

Which general manager was fired in July 2019 after just 14 months on the job?

Bill Guerin replaced him that August.

Kirill Kaprizov scored the overtime winner in his NHL debut in January 2021 against which team?

He won the Calder Trophy with 51 points in a 56-game season.

Which round of the 2015 draft was Kaprizov selected in?

He went 135th overall; scouts only saw him because smog from California wildfires delayed their flight home.

Kaprizov's overtime 'golden goal' at the 2018 Olympics beat which country?

It was Russia's first Olympic hockey gold since 1992.

Which KHL club did Kaprizov win the 2019 Gagarin Cup with?

He had started with hometown Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

How many points did Kaprizov record in 2021-22, a franchise record?

He was the first Wild player to reach 100.

Which veteran goalie did the Wild acquire before the 2022 playoffs, only to lose to St. Louis?

Fleury re-signed twice and made 2024-25 his farewell season.

Whose draft rights did the Wild receive from Los Angeles in the 2022 Kevin Fiala trade?

Faber signed right after his Gophers lost the 2023 Frozen Four final.

Kaprizov's September 2025 extension, the richest in NHL history, was worth how much?

It runs eight years.

Which Norris Trophy defenseman did the Wild acquire in December 2025 for Rossi, Ohgren, Buium and a pick?

It was widely called the biggest trade in franchise history.

Whom did the Wild beat in 2026 for their first playoff series win since 2015?

Rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt starred before Colorado ended the run in five.

The 'eye' of the animal in the Wild logo is what?

It nods to the departed North Stars and the state motto L'Etoile du Nord; the mouth is the Mississippi.

What is the name of the Wild mascot introduced in 2008?

Nordy's species, like the logo animal's, is left ambiguous.

The 'This Is Our Ice' tradition invites fans to bring what to the arena?

It has been added to the arena ice each season since 2017.

Grand Casino Arena was known by what name from its 2000 opening?

Fans still call it 'The X'; it was built on the site of the demolished Civic Center.

Which party held its 2008 national convention at the Wild's arena?

Owner Craig Leipold is a prominent Republican donor.

Which women's hockey team began sharing the Wild's arena in 2024?

The Frost play in the PWHL, which launched in January 2024.

Which number did Martin Hanzal wear in the Wild's 2017 North Stars warm-up, since 19 was retired?

The North Stars' history officially belongs to the Dallas Stars.

Which Steppenwolf anthem was one of the team's two goal songs in its first season, then dropped?

'Crowd Chant' by Joe Satriani arrived in 2006-07.

Which state agency became the Wild's 26-year partner in a first-of-its-kind arrangement?

The partnership even reduced how much of the state's arena loan had to be repaid.

Where did the Wild relocate their AHL affiliate from in 2013 to create the Iowa Wild?

The Houston Aeros had been the affiliate since the early years.

Which goaltender holds the Wild record for career wins, with 194?

He also owns the single-season shutout mark with eight in 2008-09.

How many goals did Marian Gaborik score against the Rangers on December 20, 2007, a franchise record?

Ryan Suter and Kaprizov hold the defenceman and rookie points records, 51 apiece.

Which Racine, Wisconsin resident and former Predators owner bought the Wild in 2008?

The NHL Board of Governors approved his purchase of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment on April 10, 2008.

Whom did the Wild trade to Ottawa in July 2022 to acquire goaltender Filip Gustavsson?

Gustavsson's stellar season carried the team to 103 points and third in the Central Division.