The Wild have a decent track record in the NHL despite being a new team. They have made it to the playoffs a number of times and have one division title under their belt. The team plays at the Xcel Energy Center, which is a multi-purpose arena that they share with the Minnesota Swarm of the NLL. Currently the team is coached by Mike Yeo while Mikko Koivu is the team’s captain.
Background
The last NHL team to play from Minnesota was the Minnesota North Stars, who, after the 1993 season, moved to Dallas. It left the state of Minnesota without a professional hockey team for seven years. There was a movement, spearheaded by the Mayor Norm Coleman, to ensure that Minnesota got an expansion franchise in the NHL. The second option was to relocate and recruit another franchise to play for them. It was announced in June 1997 that Minnesota had been awarded an expansion franchise that would begin to play in the 2000-01 season.
From amongst six possible team names, the Minnesota Wild was chosen as the official name of the franchise and unveiled to the public on January 22, 1998.
NHL
The team began their first NHL season in 2000-01 and played their first match against the Philadelphia Flyers against whom they were able to draw 3-3. The team had an average season on the ice in the beginning, which was understandable, since they were still a new team. However the highlight of the season was when the Dallas Stars came to play against the Wild. The previous Minnesota team was given a very harsh welcome, as the Wild, riding on the support of almost eighteen thousand emotional fans beat the Stars by 6-0.
The team has constantly been evolving since their inception. Following their debut season, the team had a better season in 2001-02, but were still unable to make it to the playoffs. They made their first playoff appearance the following season and made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals though they did not win. They would once again make it to the playoff stage in the 2006-07 season.
The next major moment in the team’s history came in the 2008 season, when they won their first Division Championship. Capping off a very strong season, the team set new franchise records. However they lost to eventual Stanley Cup winners Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the play offs.
Currently the team has reached the playoffs in the 2012-2013 season, though they were eliminated by the eventual champions Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs in five games. But the future looks bright for the team as a solid foundation has been laid for them to build on.