5/16/13: Minnesota's wild ride came to an end just five games into the playoffs. The Wild captured the 8th seed in the West on the last day of the season, which meant that they had to face the Chicago Blackhawks - easily the best team in the NHL this season. Chicago won the first game and the Wild surprised everyone by taking the second game in Chicago. But that was all they could muster as the Blackhawks won the next three games and eliminated Minnesota. The good news is that the offseason free agent signings of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise did some good. the team got into the playoffs, which has been missed in the land of 10,000 lakes.

5/2/13: The Wild are in their first playoffs in several years, sneaking in as the number 8 seed on the last day of the regular season. Their reward for being among the top 8 Western teams in a 48 game season is facing the league leading Chicago Blackhawks. Game one was on Tuesday and the Wild held their own for sixty minutes - forcing the Hawks to overtime in their own building. But it was not meant to be, as talent finally won out over grit, and the Blackhawks overcame the pesky Wild in overtime. Chicago was expected to romp in this series, but the Wild are showing that they are here to play.

4/18/13: Minnesota has its first chance to get into the playoffs in several years. The team is playing very well, and the infusion of the top free agents (hometowner Zach Parise and Ryan Suter) seem to be paying off. The Wild probably will not overtake Vancouver for the top spot in the Northwest, but should find themselves playing in May - which is really what this fan base needs. What they do not need is to be matched up against the St. Louis Blues who seem to have their number in every game. The Wild must, must figure out a way to generate more offense.

3/28/13: The Wild have been playing much better of late, pulling even with the Vancouver Canucks for first place in the Northwest Division. Minnesota and San Jose drew the Saturday afternoon game, which gave them the chance to get in front of a national audience. However, it is March Madness time, so that may have been a wash. In any case, the Wild shutout the San Jose Sharks 2-0, and even got a goal from Ryan Suter. Suter does not have many points this year, but is among the league leaders in ice time and playing great defense - what the team should expect from one of their $100 million men.

2/28/13: Minnesota made the big free agent moves in the offseason, signing the two biggest players on the market: Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The move immediately excited the loyal Wild fans and made them a contender in the eyes of many experts. So far, the signings have paid off somewhat. The team is a game above .500 and in second place in the Northwest division - a full six points behind Vancouver. The Wild started well last season too, but then faceplanted into obscurity. This season should be better though. The team has better leadership and talent on the roster, and certainly has a shot at making the postseason.

2/21/13: Minnesota Wild right winger Devin Setoguchi is now a criminal in the eyes of the NHL. Not really. But the league did fine him the maximum for a high sticking infraction against Detroit Red Wings defenseman Kyle Quincey. The two collided near center ice in the second period of the Wild's win over Detroit on Sunday. Setoguchi's stick got high and hit Quincey's head. He received a double minor at the time. Setoguchi is not a dirty player and this was his first offense. H was fined $8,100, or 1/2 of one day's pay for the incident.

2/14/13: Minnesota has never won the Stanley Cup (though the franchise is only about a decade old), but they did win the press conference over the summer. The blockbuster free agent signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter put the team on the map and sold a lot of tickets in Minneapolis. But the signings have not turned into dominance. The team is tied for second with Edmonton in the Northwest Division with 13 points and is three behind Vancouver. The Wild are having trouble scoring, with 26 goals through 12 games. If they cannot turn their offensive around, they will be home early in the summer again.

11/29/12: When the Wild signed the top two free agents this past summer, center Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils and Ryan Suter of the Nashville predators, the team was the toast of the league for their bold moves. Those signings included $10 million in signing bonuses to each player, regardless of any work stoppage. However, those cheers have turned to boos. With the lockout dragging on and no revenue coming in, Minnesota Wild staffers are being forced into taking a 20% pay cut. Many are citing the obvious conflict considering how much the players made, making for bad PR across the board.

11/22/12: Not much is happening in HockeyWood (aka: Minnesota), but the Houston Aeros continue their season in the AHL. The Aeros lost to Rockford 201, but then beat the Ice Hogs 3-2. The Wild are actually in a pretty good position for the next few years. The team has a strong top-six on offense, now anchored by Zach Parise and a respectable defense which will be headed up by Ryan Suter. The recent high draft picks will eventually come of age, making the Wild one of the more interesting teams to watch in a couple of years.

11/15/12: Charlotte has opened up a four point lead in the standings over Houston, five over Oklahoma City, and 10 over San Antonio early in the 2012-13 season. The logical assumption is that this would be NBA standings, but that would mean that Michael Jordan was making good executive and personnel decisions. No, this is the AHL, and the Wild's affiliate, the Houston Aeros are in second place in the South Division with 15 points so far. That the minor league team is doing well should not be surprising. The Wild have a wealth of talented prospects developing for the NHL game, which bodes well for the franchise in the future.

11/8/12: Even when there is no NHL hockey, the Wild just cannot stay healthy. Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin are the latest injury casualties. Both were injured in the same game, playing for the AHL Houston Aeros against Oklahoma City. Granlund sprained his right ankle and is out tow to four weeks, but should be fine there after. Brodin, however, broke his clavicle and is out eight weeks. A rehab schedule will be made once it is determined if he needs rest or surgery. Last season, the Wild started off red-hot, but lost four of their top six forwards to injury, and failed to qualify for the playoffs.

11/1/12: New Wild player Ryan Suter is making some pretty serious charges against the owners and their contract and negotiation tactics. His statements essentially convey the thought that owners who gave out massive contracts in the offseason, including his own, negotiated in bad faith because now the owners are asking for the money back while still retaining the services of the star players. Suter makes an interesting point, particularly since several megadeals were signed just prior to the lockout. The owners keep the players but the players are unlikely to see the full value of the deal.

10/18/12: The much-hyped Minnesota Wild season still on hold. The good news is that the NHL has made a realistic offer to the players and the real negotiating for a new CBA is about to begin. The league even wants to preserve a regular 82 game schedule. Meanwhile, all the new Zach Parise and Ryan Suter jerserys purchased by ravonous Wild fans collect dust closets throughout the 10,000 Lakes State. The season, if it can be saved, is as anticipated as any since NHL hockey returned to the Twin Cities. The team is finally healthy and has the top two free agents from the offseason - meaning the Wild could make the playoffs for the first time in years, once play resumes.

10/4/12: The NHL lockout will hurt many teams, including division rival Calgary. But no fan base should be more dissapointed than the Minnesota Wild. After suffering through an agonizing year - one in which they led the NHL early on - and missing the playoffs, and enduring injury after injury. The Wild looked like a team on the rise. Players are finally healthy and the big signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter offered hope for the season. With any luck, the lockout will just be a delay, and not another lost season for Minnesota Wild fans.

8/16/12: Would Edmonton, a team that has done about as fine a job as any team in any sport in rebuilding their franchise, really make a trade for defenseman Jay Bowmeester? Bowmeester is under contract with the archrival Flames, and owns a no-trade clause. The move does make sense for the Oilers. They need to improve on defense, and a veteran presence in the locker room would be an asset. The impact of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement will have bearing on any acquisitions the club would like to make, particularly if the salary cap decreases for the next season.

8/2/12: Minnesota Wild fans are still celebrating the coup that landed the top two free agents: center Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, and the team has been relatively quiet since then. But the Wild may have to make some moves in the next few weeks. They have 49 players under contract, one less than the maximum 50, but only have $2 million in salary cap room under the current $70 million cap. The cap ceiling is likely to down after the new collective bargaining agreement is completed, so Minnesota would have to reduce their payroll. The question is how much will it fall, and how many players will the Wild have to lose to reach compliance.

7/26/12: Twitter followers are talking about a trade rumor involving the Wild trading Dany Heatly to the Penguins for Pascal Dupuis, Paul Martin, and either a first round draft pick or Tyler Kennedy. Multiple sources, including Dupuis' agent and Pittsburg media have denied the rumors, but these things do tend to bubble up, particularly when there is no other news. If these rumors are true, then it would appear that this is a Plan B for the Penguins if they can not land Alexander Semin, Shane Doan, or Bobby Ryan, having already missed out on Zach Parise and Rick Nash.

5/22/12: Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher said he did not think the Wild would miss the playoffs for three straight years, and (in what may be a first in professional sports front office history) he takes responsibility for that. Fans of the club are likely to agree with that assessment - though they may prefer his head to his humility. The Wild assembled two forward lines that can compete day in/day out in the NHL. but they have little, if anything after that. In short, the team lacks depth. It showed when four of their top six forwards were injured at the same time, and must be a top priority going into the offseason.

5/16/12: The names on the top of the Wild's free agent wish list are rumored to be the Devils' star (and Minneapolis native) Zach Parise and Predators defenseman Ryan Suter. The Wild want to develop an atmosphere that star players want to join - but that, of course, requires consistent winning over several years. The Wild started off 2011-12 very well - at the top fo the league. Unfortunately, a rash of injuries set in, resulting in the team losing over 400 man-games, and ultimately any playoff hopes. A return to health will make the team competitive again, and some star players could put them over the top.

5/11/12: The Wild started the season as strong as anyone in the NHL. They were the first to 20 points and at one time led the league with a 20-7-3 record. Unfortunately, they lost Mikko Koivu, Pierre-Marc Brouchard, and Guillaume Latendresse in a 48-hour stretch, while already being without Devin Setoguchi. The Wild did not have the depth to offset losing four of their top six forwards - then again, no team does. The Wild have cap-space to burn in the offseason and may target Zach Parise in the offseason, while also welcoming in a slew of prospects trying to make the big-leagues.

5/3/12: Despite not qualifying for the NHL playoffs again, the Wild have several players and prospects on rosters of the World Championship teams. Mikko Koivu will again captain Team Finland, as Finland looks to defend their crown at home. Joining Koivu will be prospect Mikael Granlund, who made waves on YouTube last year with his amazing lacrosse-style goal against Russia. Goaltender Matt Hackett was added to Team Canada, Wild draft-picks Jonas Brodin and Johan Larsson are on Team Sweeden, and goalie Dennis Endras joined Team Germany. Endras was MVP of the tournament last year, though Germany finished in fourth place.

4/25/12: Like several other teams who missed the playoffs, the Wild had trouble scoring goals this past season, averaging only 2 per game. One reason may have been that team points leader and leading scorer, Dany Heatly, had been playing on an injured knee. Heatly had surgery after the season, but there is no way of knowing how much the knee affected him during the season. To his credit, Heatly was one of only three Wild players to play in all 82 games. Additionally, goalie Niklas Backstrom and defenseman Devin Setoguchi both had procedures on their ankles since the season ended.

4/17/12: The Wild can use help everywhere in the offseason, as in score more and allow less. The team averaged just over 2 goals per game and surrendered 2.65. But help could be coming soon in the form of young prospects. 2010 second round pick Jason Zucker played the final six games, notching two assists. Johann Larson is excelling in the Sweedish Elite League and has a legitimate shot at making the Wild next season. The team may also pursue Minnesota native Zach Parise (Devils) and Ryan Suter (Predators) in free agency. Additionally, the Wild are working on an extension for GM Chuck Fletcher.

Minnesota Wild Tickets -Team History

Minnesota Wild tickets allow fans the opportunity to see one of the NHL's newest franchises begin to write its own history. Established in 2000, the Minnesota Wild joined the National Hockey League as an expansion team along with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Wild play their games at Xcel Energy Center and have called the venue home since it opened in 2000. Watch as the Wild build a new legacy and work to bring a Stanley Cup to Minnesota!

Minnesota Wild Tickets -Season Info

The Minnesota Wild have come a very long way in such a short amount of time. With playoff appearances two of the last five seasons, the Wild have certainly given the fans hope for big things in the near future. With star players like All-Star Brent Burns and veterans John Madden and Martin Havlat leading the charge, Wild fans can expect to see their squad in playoff contention year after year.

Minnesota Wild Tickets -Ticket Information

Minnesota Wild tickets ensure that fans see the Wild playing top contenders throughout the entire NHL season. The Wild have their work cut out for them in a tough Northwest Division. With matchups against great teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames and non-divisional meetings with P. K. Subban's Montreal Canadiens, the Wild are sure to be tested all season long. Grab your Wild tickets now and don't miss the action!

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