2010 Second Round Game 7 vs Chicago Blackhawks

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. 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.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights hummed low over the empty ice at Xcel Energy Center. It was April 2010, and the scoreboard flickered with final standings rather than a game clock. Fans lingered in the concourse, trading stories of regular season overtime winners against Chicago that felt as heavy as any playoff loss. The dream of a Game 7 showdown had evaporated weeks prior, replaced by the quiet reality of missed seeding.

Reader's Guide

The Wild are affiliated with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL.

Did You Know?

• The Wild were officially named on January 22, 1998, with the song 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf playing over the arena's speaker system.
• The team retired the number 1 jersey to honor all Minnesota fans, who the team claimed were the true 'number one' to them.
• The Wild became the first team in playoff history to capture a seven-game series twice after facing elimination during game 5 in 2003.