Craig Patrick

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Craig Patrick played eight seasons in the NHL with the California Golden Seals, the St. Louis Blues, the Kansas City Scouts, and the Washington Capitals. He also played briefly for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association in 1976–77. He amassed 72 goals, 91 assists, and 163 points in 401 NHL games. He served as assistant general manager and assistant coach for the 1980 US Olympic gold medal-winning team, and was general manager for the 2002 US Olympic team, which won the silver medal. He later became general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins on December 5, 1989.

In Their Own Story

The source describes the emotional atmosphere of the Wild's first home game on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers, where Darby Hendrickson scored the franchise's first home goal. It recounts the sellout crowd of over 18,000 during the Dallas Stars' return visit, resulting in a 6–0 shutout. The narrative highlights Marian Gaborik scoring the first-ever goal in Anaheim and the team retiring jersey number one to honor fans. It details the dramatic 2003 playoff journey, including Andrew Brunette's series-clinching goal against Patrick Roy and the subsequent sweep by Jean-Sébastien Giguère of Anaheim. However, this historical account stops at the 2008–09 season, offering no narrative regarding Craig Patrick or events from a decade later.

Reader's Guide

Craig Patrick's tenure as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins included drafting Jaromír Jágr in 1990, trading for Ron Francis in 1991, and later drafting Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, and Evgeni Malkin. His later years as GM were marked by financial woes and poor trades, including trading Markus Näslund for Alek Stojanov and Sergei Zubov for Kevin Hatcher. He was relieved of his duties on April 20, 2006. The source article does not mention any affiliation with the Minnesota Wild.

Did You Know?

• Craig Patrick was the assistant general manager and assistant coach for the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal in the 'Miracle on Ice.'
• Patrick was the general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1989 to 2006, overseeing Stanley Cup wins in 1991 and 1992.
• He played eight NHL seasons for the California Golden Seals, St. Louis Blues, Kansas City Scouts, and Washington Capitals, and also played for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA.
• Patrick's grandfather Lester Patrick and father Lynn Patrick both won the Stanley Cup.

Origins and Franchise Establishment

The Minnesota Wild were established following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars in 1993. After a failed attempt to relocate the Winnipeg Jets due to arena issues with the Target Center, businessman Bob Naegele Jr. led an expansion application. On June 25, 1997, the NHL awarded the franchise to begin play in the 2000–01 season. The team name 'Wild' was chosen from six finalists and unveiled on January 22, 1998, at Aldrich Arena with Steppenwolf's 'Born to Be Wild.' To support the new team, Minnesota legislation loaned $65 million to Saint Paul for the Xcel Energy Center (later Grand Casino Arena), funded primarily through rent rather than taxes. Initial leadership included Jac Sperling as CEO and Doug Risebrough as General Manager.

The Historic 2003 Playoff Run

In their third season, the Wild reached the Western Conference finals in a surprise run. They defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games after trailing 3–1, with Andrew Brunette scoring the clinching goal against Patrick Roy. They then beat the Vancouver Canucks in another seven-game series, also after being down 3–1, becoming the first team to win two such elimination series in one playoff year. However, they were swept 4–0 by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the conference finals, scoring only one goal against Jean-Sébastien Giguère.

Franchise Identity and Early Milestones

Marian Gaborik scored the first-ever Wild goal in their debut loss to Anaheim on October 6. Darby Hendrickson netted the first home goal against Philadelphia on October 11, where the team also retired jersey number one to honor fans. The Dallas Stars' return visit drew a sellout crowd of over 18,000 for a 6–0 shutout victory. Gaborik led the team with 30 goals in his sophomore season (2001–02), while Andrew Brunette led scoring with 69 points.

Organizational Structure and Facilities

The Wild play at Grand Casino Arena, owned by Craig Leipold. They are affiliated with the Iowa Wild (AHL) and Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL). The team won one division championship in 2008 under coach Jacques Lemaire. Doug Risebrough served as General Manager during the early years and later as executive vice president.