The Minnesota Wild history began in 2000 when the team joined the NHL as an expansion franchise. Since then, the club has become a key part of the Minnesota Wild NHL landscape, thrilling fans with competitive seasons, memorable playoff appearances, and a passionate following across the state, making them one of the league’s most exciting teams.
Established
2000
City
St. Paul
League History
2000 – Present / National Hockey League
Team History
2000 – Present / Minnesota Wild
Nickname
Wild – The Minnesota Wild is among the most beloved National Hockey League (NHL) teams. As avid sports fans, you may wonder what inspired their unique name. The origins of the Wild’s nickname can be traced back to a 1997 contest held by Minnesota hockey officials.
Minnesota Wild Origin
At that time, Minneapolis-St Paul had no professional hockey team, and local enthusiasts were eager for an NHL franchise to call home. To generate excitement about this potential expansion team, a “Name the Team” competition was launched, with over 2200 entries submitted from all around Minnesota and beyond! After countless hours of deliberation by judges across North America, two finalists emerged: “White Bears” and “Wild.”
Ultimately it was decided that "Wild" would become official as it better represented both Minnesotans' passion for outdoor activities like fishing or hunting and their enthusiasm for ice hockey - often referred to colloquially as 'the wild game.' Since then, fans have embraced this moniker wholeheartedly - wearing jerseys emblazoned with various iterations of its theme, such as 'Minnesota Wilderness' or 'North Star State.'
This nickname has been adopted into popular culture and reminds us how far our state has come since those early days when we had nothing more than dreams and aspirations! From humble beginnings comes great success; today, we proudly cheer on our beloved MN Wild, who continues to make us proud every season they participate in NHL action!
Championship
Stanley Cup 0
Arena
2000 – Present / Xcel Energy Center
Owner
2008 – Present / Craig Leipold
2000 – 2008 / Bob Naegele, Jr.
- 1998
- 2000
- 2008
Minnesota Wild Team Formation
Following the departure of the Minnesota North Stars after the 1993 season, the state of Minnesota was without an NHL team for seven seasons. Mayor Norm Coleman began a campaign to either recruit the relocation of an existing franchise to St. Paul or the award of an expansion franchise to a Minnesota-based ownership group. These efforts came close to success ...
Xcel Energy Center Opens
The State of Minnesota adopted legislation in April 1998 to loan $65 million to the City of St. Paul to fund 50% of the estimated $130 million project costs for the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The legislation also provided that only $48 million of the loan needed to be repaid if the team met the requirements to have ...-
Craig Leipold Ownership
Leipold’s purchase of the Minnesota Wild was announced on January 10, 2008. Leipold had this to say about his newest acquisition, “It is a true privilege to become part of the organization and the hockey community in Minnesota.” Fans of the Minnesota Wild had already begun welcoming Leipold as the new owner via the team’s message board. Leipold’s company Minnesota ...
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Minnesota Wild History
The Minnesota Wild history began in 2000 when the team was founded as an NHL expansion franchise based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As members of the Central Division of the Western Conference, the Minnesota Wild NHL franchise quickly earned a passionate fan base and developed an intense rivalry with the Winnipeg Jets, becoming one of the league’s most exciting clubs.
The team plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center, which has been its home since the inaugural season. While the Minnesota Wild NHL franchise has not yet claimed a Stanley Cup championship, they made a memorable run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003 before falling to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. Over the years, the club has continued to build competitive rosters and thrilling playoff runs.
Since its inception, the Minnesota Wild history has been marked by consistent playoff appearances. They made 10 consecutive postseason runs from 2002 to 2012, setting a record for an NHL expansion team. The Wild also achieved one division title since joining the league and set an expansion-era record with 25 wins in their inaugural season.
During the 2006–07 season, the Minnesota Wild NHL team captured the Northwest Division but exited early after a first-round sweep by the Colorado Avalanche. In the 2008–09 season, they again performed strongly and won another Northwest Division crown but were knocked out by the Calgary Flames in a dramatic seven-game series.
Under head coach Mike Yeo, who took over before the 2011–12 campaign, the Minnesota Wild NHL franchise finished second in the regular season standings behind the Vancouver Canucks. They then reached the conference semifinals twice in a row, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions Los Angeles Kings in 2013 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014.
Team Achievements
In the 2014–15 playoffs, the Minnesota Wild history added another memorable chapter. They defeated the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche in hard-fought series before falling to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games in a heartbreaking overtime loss at the United Center. This period cemented the team as a consistent postseason contender and thrilled fans across Minnesota.
Beyond these moments, the Minnesota Wild NHL franchise continues to develop elite talent and remains one of the league’s strongest expansion-era success stories. With a growing young core, the team aims to bring the first Stanley Cup to Minnesota and add a historic milestone to an already impressive journey.
Retired Number
1 / Minnesota Wild Fans
99 / Wayne Gretzky
*Blue is this team’s history