2019 Second Round Game 6 vs Vegas Golden Knights

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.

In Their Own Story

The ice at Xcel Energy Center felt frozen solid under the glare of the arena lights, the air thick with the scent of popcorn and nervous sweat. As the clock ticked down into overtime, every Wild fan held their breath, knowing that one mistake would erase months of preparation. The puck dropped for a face-off in the neutral zone, and the silence was deafening until the first whistle blew, shattering the hope of a miracle.

Reader's Guide

The Wild named Jacques Lemaire their first head coach and the team picked Marian Gaborik third overall in the first round of the 2000 NHL entry draft. Gaborik scored the first-ever goal for the Wild in their franchise debut on October 6 at Anaheim. The Wild played their first-ever home game on October 11 against the Philadelphia Flyers and skated to a 3–3 tie. Minnesota native Darby Hendrickson scored the first-ever home goal for the Wild. The most notable game of the year was the first visit of the Dallas Stars, who had formerly played in Minnesota as the Minnesota North Stars. The Wild rode an emotional sellout crowd of over 18,000 to a 6–0 shutout in Dallas' first regular season game in Minnesota since a neutral-site game in 1993.

Did You Know?

• The Wild were officially named the Wild at an unveiling at the Aldrich Arena in suburban Maplewood on January 22, 1998, with the song 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf playing over the arena's speaker system.
• The Wild became the first team in playoff history to capture a seven-game series twice after facing elimination during game 5, in the 2003 playoffs.
• The Minnesota Wild-MASC partnership is the first partnership of its kind between a private professional sports team and a public amateur sports organization.