Minnesota Wild

Lore & Background

The Wild were founded on June 25, 1997, and began play in the 2000–01 season. The team was founded following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars, who were based in Minnesota from 1967 to 1993, when they relocated to Dallas, Texas, and became the Dallas Stars. The Wild made their first Stanley Cup playoffs appearance in 2003, making a surprise run to the Western Conference finals, but ultimately losing to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The team have appeared in the playoffs a total of 14 times, and have won one division championship, in 2008.

Reader's Guide

The Wild play at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. The team's first head coach was Jacques Lemaire. Notable early players included Marian Gaborik, who scored the first-ever goal for the Wild in their franchise debut on October 6 at Anaheim. The Wild's first-ever home game was on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers, resulting in a 3–3 tie. The team retired the number 1 jersey to honor all Minnesota fans.

Did You Know?

• The Wild were named on January 22, 1998, at Aldrich Arena in Maplewood, with the song 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf playing.
• The Wild were the second team in playoff history to capture a seven-game series twice after facing elimination during game 5, following the 1975 New York Islanders who were the first.
• The Wild's 2008 division championship was the Northwest Division title.