In the Xcel Energy Center, an attendance of eighteen thousand Minnesota Wild fans fills the arena making it another home game sellout. The Minnesota Wild ended the 09-10 season poorly. They were twenty-two out of thirty in the league conference and second to last in their Northwest division. Now, coming back for the 10-11 season, fans are wondering what to expect for the Minnesota Wild hockey team. The old, but still new head coach, Todd Richards had big shoes to fill when he replaced Jacques Lamaire in 2009. Richards’ rookie year didn’t go very well in the first half, but once the Wild players got used to his new system they played better in the second half of the season, and that gave the fans hope for a better season this year. Also, The Minnesota Wild got a new general manager Chuck Fletcher. After some changes and losses in the past year, not only did the Wilds trade Owen Nolan, Shane Hnidy, John Scott, and Derek Boogaard, but also signed John Cullen (Tampa Bay Lightning), Eric Nystrom (Calgary Flames), and Matt Cullen (Ottawa Senators). Chuck Fletcher likes the new group of guys and is hoping that the team makes it to the playoffs this year.
Some fans agree that the Wild will make a comeback. Josh Sikkema, a senior at Mayo High School, says “I expect them to make a strong comeback; I mean they made a lot of changes last season but I believe they will come back strong.”
Maybe fans like Sikkema are correct, and the Wild will make it back strong. On the night of Thursday, October 14th, 2010, the Wild beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on their home opener winning the first game of the season. The Wild are now 9-0-1 for their home openers. Matt Cullen, who is just joining the team this season, was all round the net Thursday night. Cullen ended the game with 1 goal and 1 assist, making him a good add.
Or maybe the fans are incorrect. On the night of Saturday, October 16th, 2010, the Wild fell short 3-2 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although the Wilds did not win the game, Matt Cullen had another good night. Cullen ended Saturday’s game with 2 assists, and was also the second star of the night.
Even though the wins aren’t racking in, it is still pretty early in the season. The Wild have many games to play and time to improve. Continuing to adjust to the changes they’ve been facing, it may take a couple more seasons before we see the Stanley Cup in Minnesota. Minnesota fans are loyal and hopeful, but they’ll just have to wait and see how the Wild play this season. Whether good or bad, the true Minnesota Wild fans will be there cheering them on and selling out every home game.
sources:
LeBrun, By Pierre. "ESPN.com's 2010-11 NHL Preview: Minnesota Wild - ESPN." ESPN: The Worldwide Leader In Sports. 4 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.
http://wild.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=534481
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