After Olympics, Wild Dealing With Uncertainty At Key Positions
It's an exciting and a bit of a strange time for the Minnesota Wild, who are ready to make a push in the final 23 games, but are unsure of who will be available off the injured list.
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It's an exciting and a bit of a strange time for the Minnesota Wild, who are ready to make a push in the final 23 games, but are unsure of who will be available off the injured list.
It's three-plus hours south of the Xcel Energy Center. Des Moines Iowa hardly strikes you as a hockey hot bed, but it's the ideal partner for the Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota Wild center Mikko Koivu decided his surgically repaired right ankle has not healed enough to allow him to play for Finland in the Olympics. Koivu, who had surgery after fracturing his right ankle while blocking a shot on Jan. 4, has been out the past 15 games for Minnesota heading into the Olympic break.
The Minnesota Wild have acquired forward Curt Gogol from the San Jose Sharks for forward Chad Rau in a trade of minor leaguers. San Jose general manager Doug Wilson announced the move Wednesday, ahead of the team's home game against the Dallas Stars. The Sharks had lost four of their last five. Rau has one goal and six assists in 33 games this season for the AHL's Iowa Wild. He has two goals in nine career NHL games for Minnesota. He will report to the Worcester affiliate.
The Wild take on Tampa Tuesday night in a dash to the Olympic break. Keith Ballard came home in the off season to try and help solidify a group of defensemen that is a blend of veterans and youth.
Mikko Koivu's return to the Minnesota Wild likely won't come until after the Olympics, leaving his availability for Finland during the Winter Games in question. Koivu broke his right ankle Jan. 4 when he was hit by a puck and had surgery to accelerate the recovery. The captain and first-line center has resumed skating, but Wild coach Mike Yeo told reporters after practice Monday that Koivu's availability for the last two games before the Olympics break was "highly in doubt."
Zach Parise of the Minnesota Wild will be the captain of the U.S. men's hockey team at the Sochi Olympics. Minnesota defenseman Ryan Suter and center Dustin Brown of the Los Angeles Kings will be the alternate captains, U.S. general manager David Poile announced Friday.
The NHL-leading Anaheim Ducks had plenty of problems against the pesky Minnesota Wild. Claustrophobia wasn't one of them. Zach Parise had a goal and two assists, Mikael Granlund scored the go-ahead goal on a power play early in the second period and Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves for the Wild in a 4-2 victory Tuesday night.
Tyler Matson spent some golden years as a Golden Gopher. "Unbelievable experience," Matson said. "Playing for Don Lucia, the Gophers and being in Minnesota and being a Minnesota kid … you want to play there." His current residence is just over three hours south in Des Moines, where he plays for the Wild's AHL team – the Iowa Wild. Interstate 35W and a whole bunch of players are between him and the big club.
Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau found the perfect way to celebrate their new contract extensions. Thornton scored his second goal of the game with 1:30 remaining in overtime to lead the San Jose Sharks to their sixth straight win, 3-2 over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Team WCCO braved the elements Saturday for a pair of charity pond hockey games on Lake Minnetonka. The team ranged in age from 14 to 62, and happily accepted the help of former Wild player Mark Parrish as a ringer. "This is awesome," Parrish said. "It takes you right back. This is where it all began for all of us." The wind chill on Lake Minnetonka was minus 15, but it was all for a good cause.
Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise has been cleared to return from the broken left foot that has kept him out of the last 14 games. The Wild said after the pre-game skate Thursday morning that Parise will play against Chicago. He last suited up Dec. 22.
Zach Parise said it's 50-50 if he can come back by Thursday night against Chicago. Meanwhile, the team continues to ask Darcy Keumper to try and keep the gate closed at goalie. So far, it's been a welcomed challenge.
The 8th annual Hockey Day Minnesota took place on Saturday starting with a trio of high school games in Elk River, Minn. That was followed by a game at Mariucci Arena between Ohio State and Minnesota, with the nightcap taking place at Xcel Energy Center between the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars.
Nate Prosser scored his third career goal at 2:42 of overtime, lifting the Minnesota Wild over the Dallas Stars 3-2 on Saturday night. Prosser netted the winning score for the second time in as many games, and Darcy Kuemper stopped 33 shots. Erik Haula and Ryan Suter also scored for the Wild. Ryan Garbutt and Alex Chiasson scored for the slumping Stars, who have only one win in their last nine games. Kari Lehtonen made 16 saves.
TCF Bank Stadium will hold an outdoor doubleheader Friday afternoon at the Hockey City Classic, featuring the Minnesota Gophers men's and women's hockey teams. The men's team took to the ice late Thursday afternoon in preparation for Friday's game. It was also a chance to see the ice at nightfall, checking out the sight lines under the lights. Coach Dan Lucia says there will be one other element in play that's a bit more distracting than the waning sunlight.
Minnesota Wild goalie Josh Harding has been making progress toward a return to playing. Harding took part in the team skate before the Wild hosted Ottawa on Tuesday.
Dany Heatley had a goal and an assist, Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for his first career shutout, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Nashville Predators 4-0 on Sunday night. Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six.
Ryan O'Reilly scored twice, including the game-winner with 7:16 to play, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Minnesota Wild 4-2 Saturday night. Gabriel Landeskog and Maxime Talbot also scored for the Avalanche, winners in five of seven. O'Reilly had his first two-goal game of the season.
Minnesota Wild players will wear camouflage jerseys during pre-game warm-ups Saturday when the team hosts the Colorado Avalanche. The player-autographed camouflage jerseys will then be auctioned off online to benefit the Minnesota Wild Foundation and Defending The Blue Line.
Another popular Minnesota sports figure now has two little bundles of joy to take care of as he also is trying to lead his team to the playoffs. The Minnesota Wild announced Thursday that Zach Parise and his wife Alisha welcomed twins to the world on Wednesday. They had a boy, Jaxson, and a girl, Emelia.
Minor league call-up Darcy Kuemper looked totally different than he did in his two other appearances with the Minnesota Wild this season. The Los Angeles Kings were quite impressed. Kuemper made 17 of his 39 saves during the first period in his fifth NHL start, a 2-1 victory over the Kings on Tuesday night.
As many as five Minnesota Wild players will play for their native countries in the Winter Olympics next month. Forwards Mikael Granlund and Mikko Koivu were named Tuesday to Finland's roster. Koivu's participation is in question because of a broken ankle he suffered Saturday and had surgery to fix Monday.
The Minnesota Wild have placed goalie Josh Harding and center Mikko Koivu on injured reserve. The moves were made Monday. Defenseman Jonathon Blum and forward Erik Haula were recalled from AHL affiliate Iowa.
Ryan Suter scored three goals, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Washington Capitals 5-3 on Saturday night. Suter completed the first hat trick by a Wild defenseman with 12:23 to play in the third and giving the Wild a two-goal lead. He jumped into the play straight out of the penalty box to create a 2-on-1 with Clayton Stoner, then beat Braden Holtby from the left faceoff circle off Stoner's feed. The Wild won despite being outshot 30-11. Their previous season low for shots in a game was 13 in a 3-1 win over San Jose on Dec. 8. Minnesota has won two straight after snapping a franchise-record six-game losing streak on Thursday.
A Minnesota family is finally welcoming home U.S Army Captain Willibald C. Bianchi, a war hero they waited more than 80 years to find.
The Minnesota Twins were beaten by the Rays 6-2 on Friday night in the first game of the series. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda each hit two home runs for Tampa Bay.
Flooding at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Lake County, Minnesota, has made some trails in the area inaccessible.
The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
A bill to ban most bets on prediction markets is ready for a Minnesota Senate floor vote just days after a lawmaker sparked controversy by putting money on his own primary race for Congress.
Law enforcement agencies are looking for an incarcerated man who fled from a community work crew in Plymouth, Minnesota, on Friday, according to the state's Department of Corrections.
The mother of the victim of a fatal shooting at a housing complex in Edina, Minnesota, on Wednesday is speaking out.
A lion at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory has been euthanized after he was diagnosed with an "untreatable tumor" within his nasal sinuses, according to officials with the St. Paul, Minnesota, facility.
Minnesota will be on center stage in just five years, playing host to a world fair.
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Maplewood, Minnesota, was arrested in Illinois Friday, the morning after the killing, police said.
A Minnesota family is finally welcoming home U.S Army Captain Willibald C. Bianchi, a war hero they waited more than 80 years to find.
Flooding at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Lake County, Minnesota, has made some trails in the area inaccessible.
A worker on a boom truck that was trying to help a commercial vehicle move through a western Minnesota intersection was thrown from the bucket Thursday afternoon, officials say.
When you think of masterful, memorable works of art, grain elevators don't typically come to mind. But in towns across the country, including in Minnesota, they're becoming an unlikely canvas for creativity.
For more than 50 years, Steve Nesseth has answered the call, not for the recognition, but because for him service is simply a way of life.
Two Minnesotans were killed in a motorcycle crash Wednesday evening in western Wisconsin.
Matthew Keirans used William Woods's identity for decades, then manipulated police into prosecuting Woods, who spent 428 days in jail and 147 days in a mental hospital before DNA evidence proved his innocence.
Dozens of former employees are now suing their former bosses after they were all abruptly laid off from a metal fabrication plant in western Wisconsin.
Officials say more than 100 homes were damaged and one person was injured in a "significant tornado outbreak" across Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa on Friday.
A woman was found dead at a complex on the Mississippi River in Winona County, Minnesota, on Wednesday morning.
Bobby Rogers once came to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to sketch and study; now he leads its design and editorial work, shaping what visitors see and experience.
Moses Cooper, who has cerebral palsy, met running partner Mark Hulsey through My Team Triumph Minnesota two years ago and the pair qualified for the Boston Marathon at Grandma's Marathon last summer.
Mackenzie Reed, head custodian at Shakopee East Middle School, has painted large-scale murals throughout the building she once attended as a student, creating a more welcoming space for current students.
Kristi comes to the Salvation Army not only to get food, but to shine her light. She talks with and encourages people waiting in line.
The way Mary Hernandez describes it, the effort to keep families off the street in Shakopee, Minnesota, is like trying to keep your head above water.
A bill to ban most bets on prediction markets is ready for a Minnesota Senate floor vote just days after a lawmaker sparked controversy by putting money on his own primary race for Congress.
Prediction markets are getting a lot of attention lately, especially after a Minnesota lawmaker put money on his own race. Now, a bill to ban most of that type of betting is ready for a vote on the state Senate floor. Caroline Cummings looks into the odds of it passing this year.
A bill honoring Kari Dziedzic and Melissa Hortman, including building renamings and other tributes, has passed a key Senate committee.
State lawmakers across the U.S. are increasing security measures as political violence rises.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that the Federal Reserve's inspector general will investigate cost overruns in project to renovate the central bank's headquarters.
Some Trader Joe's shoppers will get a payout after a lawsuit alleged that the retailer's customer receipts put shoppers at risk of ID theft.
The bill would provide an average refund increase of $171 to homeowners after sharp property tax increases across the state this year.
The bills aim to close what supporters call a gambling law loophole, allowing for these prediction markets to flourish with no regulations.
It's a bittersweet changing of kegs and hands in northeast Minneapolis as HeadFlyer Brewing issued a permanent last call on Sunday.
Minnesota continues to beat the national gas price average, but there are still ways to save in the metro area.
Law enforcement agencies are looking for an incarcerated man who fled from a community work crew in Plymouth, Minnesota, on Friday, according to the state's Department of Corrections.
The mother of the victim of a fatal shooting at a housing complex in Edina, Minnesota, on Wednesday is speaking out.
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Maplewood, Minnesota, was arrested in Illinois Friday, the morning after the killing, police said.
State lawmakers across the U.S. are increasing security measures as political violence rises.
Improved response times, re-training and new strategies are part of Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara's stated commitment to helping victims of domestic violence. For the family members of two dead victims, the current efforts aren't enough.
Minnesota lawmakers are calling for the humanitarian release of a woman detained earlier this year amid Operation Metro Surge who is suffering from a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst.
For more than 50 years, Steve Nesseth has answered the call, not for the recognition, but because for him service is simply a way of life.
The media we consume and how long we spend consuming it can impact our mental health. In a world where screens are scrutinized, what is the worst kind of screen time?
National Nurses United warns Hennepin County Medical Center could close following federal health care cuts under H.R. 1, threatening care across Minnesota and the Midwest.
Hundreds of nursing home workers from across the Twin Cities are on strike Monday.
Jake was at the funeral for one of his closest friends when he learned of his parents' deaths, he said.
A previously unreleased song is one of many ways Prince is being honored a decade after his death.
Bobby Rogers once came to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to sketch and study; now he leads its design and editorial work, shaping what visitors see and experience.
A video game is helping people experience the Ojibwe culture in a new way.
At Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, a new production is using the stage to explore the impact of immigration and displacement.
The Minnesota Twins were beaten by the Rays 6-2 on Friday night in the first game of the series. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda each hit two home runs for Tampa Bay.
The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired edge rusher Jonathan Greenard in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings.
A bill to ban most bets on prediction markets is ready for a Minnesota Senate floor vote just days after a lawmaker sparked controversy by putting money on his own primary race for Congress.
The Minnesota Vikings took a big swing in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, selecting the uber-athletic but injury-plagued defensive tackle Caleb Banks out of Florida.
Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets and seized a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory.
From the controversies to the name-calling to bathhouse proposals to perhaps not renewing Police Chief Brian O'Hara's contract, it seems the Minneapolis City Council is always giving us something to talk about.
From the controversies to the name-calling to bathhouse proposals to perhaps not renewing Police Chief Brian O'Hara's contract, it seems the Minneapolis City Council is always giving us something to talk about.
Both the DFL and GOP nominating conventions are the last weekend in May 7, and voting for the Aug. 11 primary begins in June.
Minnesota's hospitals are facing a growing financial crisis amid higher costs, fewer insured patients, shuttering clinics and federal Medicaid cuts.
Minnesota's hospitals are facing a growing financial crisis amid higher costs, fewer insured patients, shuttering clinics and federal Medicaid cuts.
When you think of masterful, memorable works of art, grain elevators don't typically come to mind. But in towns across the country, including in Minnesota, they're becoming an unlikely canvas for creativity.
At Arnie Lillo's Creations in Blue Earth County, you can visit a metal-scaled version of the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge. The works of art have taken on a shape of their own.
It's one of the largest musky hatcheries in the entire world. John Lauritsen shows us how the Spooner hatchery keeps fish healthy and anglers happy.
Shattuck-St. Mary's is more than a hockey school, but hockey has helped put the school on the map. They have banners and big names to prove it, though the real evidence lies with a man called Rooster.
Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins is almost here. And across town, the St. Paul Saints are getting ready for their season, too, with some added history.
The media we consume and how long we spend consuming it can impact our mental health. In a world where screens are scrutinized, what is the worst kind of screen time?
The pet insurance industry is relatively new, and experts say that's partly why there's a low number of policies, but it is growing.
The popular afternoon pick-me-up in a cup is like a super food, supplement and medicine cure-all.
One of the biggest obstacles to exercising can be finding enough time to work out. WCCO explores whether upping the intensity can give someone the same benefits in a shorter amount of time.
Filing your taxes can be stressful. But daydreaming about how to spend that refund makes it worthwhile.
A look back at the esteemed personalities who've left us this year, who'd touched us with their innovation, creativity and humanity.
Minnesotans got a great view of the northern lights Tuesday night.
A look at the newest addition to the polar bear population at St. Paul, Minnesota's Como Zoo.
From food shelves to school programs, our team is proud to serve where it matters most.
The Minnesota State Fair has unveiled its new food, drinks and vendors for 2025.
Clouds will cover the Twin Cities on Saturday before rain moves into Minnesota on Sunday night, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
In Minnesota, weather can be all over the place. Here at WCCO, we want to give you what you need to prepare for what's happening next.
Flooding at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Lake County, Minnesota, has made some trails in the area inaccessible.
NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer says Saturday will be mostly cloudy with high temperatures between the high 50s and low 60s across much of Minnesota.
Clouds will increase Friday night as we fall back to the mid-40s.
Clouds will cover the Twin Cities on Saturday before rain moves into Minnesota on Sunday night, according to NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer.
A spring tradition featuring tulips continues at a popular home in the East Isles neighborhood of Minneapolis.
Minnesota Vikings legend Jeff Siemon was known for his toughness on the field and for his compassion in the life he led after football. Mike Max has his story in this edition of Home Team.
After 80 years, a war hero is finally back home. U.S. Army Captain Willibald “Bill” Bianchi, a Bataan Death March survivor and Medal of Honor recipient, returned to Minnesota on Friday. Ubah Ali was there for this long-awaited homecoming and dignified return.
NEXT Weather meteorologist Chris Shaffer says Saturday will be mostly cloudy with high temperatures between the high 50s and low 60s across much of Minnesota.