Minnesota Wild facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Minnesota Wild |
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| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 2000 |
| History | Minnesota Wild 2000–present |
| Home arena | Xcel Energy Center |
| City | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
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| Colors | Iron range red, forest green, harvest gold, Minnesota wheat |
| Media | FS Wild KFAN (100.3 FM) |
| Owner(s) | Craig Leipold |
| General manager | Bill Guerin |
| Head coach | Dean Evason (interim) |
| Captain | Mikko Koivu |
| Minor league affiliates | Iowa Wild (AHL) Allen Americans (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 0 |
| Conference championships | 0 |
| Presidents' Trophies | 0 |
| Division championships | 1 (2007–08) |
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division of the Western Conference.
The Wild were founded on June 25, 1997, but did not start play until the 2000–01 season. The Wild were the first NHL franchise in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993. They lost their first game, 3–1, to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and recorded their first win against the Tampa Bay Lightning five games later. The Wild play at the Xcel Energy Center. In the 2002–03 season, the team made its first Stanley Cup playoffs appearance, making a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals. Since then, the Wild have struggled in the postseason, having only advanced to the second round twice since 2003.
Images for kids
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On June 19, 2000, the Minnesota Wild named Jacques Lemaire as their first-ever head coach.
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Marian Gaborik waves to the crowd after a five-goal performance against the New York Rangers in the 2007–08 season.
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The Wild faced the Carolina Hurricanes at Hartwall Areena in Helsinki to open the 2010–11 season.
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Josh Harding led the NHL in save percentage and goals against average before succumbing to injuries during the 2013–14 regular season.
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Niklas Backstrom holds the franchise record for most wins, winning 194 games as the Wild's goaltender.
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Recording 688 points as a member of the Wild, Mikko Koivu is the franchise's all-time point leaders.
