As I sat down on my sofa Friday to watch the Minnesota Wild Home Opener, I couldn’t help but feel a little nervous and skeptical of the 2008-2009 Minnesota Wild.  On paper, it appeared as though they had taken a step backwards at a crucial time for the franchise.  I wasn’t sure how this scoring starved franchise was going to replace the scoring of Demitra & Rolston.  I was worried that the franchise was relying too much on their homegrown young talent.  Most of all, I was concerned that the 2008-2009 team would lack an identity.

Luckily, what I witnessed was a Wild team that appears to be faster, better skaters, better passers and extremely confident in its approach.  Eric Belanger seems to have picked up a step and is playing with much more confidence than last year.  Brent Burns seems to have continued his rise into a premier NHL defenseman.  Niklas Backstrom picked up where he left last year as an “iron Curtain” in front of the net.  The addition of Marc-Andre Bergeron has added some much need defensive speed and puck moving ability.  Most importantly, for the first time in franchise history, the players didn’t seem to simply wait for Marian Gaborik do something.  Instead, they all played with intensity while relying on their own abilities in the victory.  I just hope that this isn’t a sign that they know it is inevitable that Gaborik will be traded.

I haven't talked much about Mark Parrish being put on waivers and then getting bought out, but there is plenty of buzz about it in the hockey community so I thought I better make a note of it. I even saw a special on him on Fox 9 News Sports Extra last night. He sounded bitter. He said he gave the team everything they asked for and then got stabbed in the back. I also got the feeling he wasn't too fond of Jacques Lemaire's leadership style. Mark Parrish said that Lemaire would often talk in general terms and not give enough specifics on what needs to be done to improve the game play and that Jacques wanted you to figure it out yourself. I can see both points of view on his leadership style, but from my viewpoint it seems like if you get on Jacques Lemaire's bad side, you stay on his bad side - no matter what. That can suck for a hockey player with potential like Mark Parrish.

Here is a comment from W1ldfan on the Parrish situation that I want to feature on the front page: Keep commenting Wild fans - let your voices be heard!

"Mark Parrish is the exact guy that could have made a huge difference in the Colorado Series. I know that he was hurt and so did everyone else. If a guy, that is considered a character guy, goes out in a series like that and just leaves it all out there taking and delivering abuse, while everyone KNOWS he is hurt a team will rally around that guy. Suddenly you have guys like Pav, Gabby, Skoula, Johnson, Butch and other players not known for being physical stepping that aspect of their game a little bit. You saw it in Rod Brind'amor with Carolina, in baseball you saw it with Curt Schilling with Boston and Gibson with the Dodgers in Baseball. If he had taken that role, he would have become a hockey god, right there with Neal Broten, in this state, but instead when talking about home grown Wild Hockey Players all attention will still turn to Darby Hendrickson."

Editors Comment: I don't think Mark Parrish and Neal Broten are even close comparisons, but I respect the point you are making.

Where will Mark Parrish end up? Vancouver Canucks? Nashville Predators? Tampa Bay Lightning? 

I admit I have been MIA for a bit, but I just want to remind everyone that Hockey Wilderness is more than just a Minnesota Wild hockey blog, it is a hockey community....what does that mean? That means that even if I don't post an article or I go missing - any member of Hockey Wilderness can post an article in the Fan Posts section AND you readers should remember to check the Fan Posts section often to see what others have to say . . . also, hockey fans can post pictures, links, quotes, Letterman lists - anything you want in the Fan Shots area.

DON'T BE SHY!!! Help make hockey wilderness more than just another Minnesota Wild hockey blog, make it a pit stop for all things Wild hockey. Contribute!

Hey, I got the schedule on here now - check it out! Minnesota Wild Schedule on Hockey Wilderness.

At the end of last season, I put a poll on my MN Wild Freak blog, asking readers which free agent should be the top signing priority for the Minnesota Wild. Brian Rolston and Pierre-Marc Bouchard tied. Well, we all know what happened to Rolston...but the Wild did manage to sign PMB this weekend to a five-year, $20.4 million contract...funny that is the same amount of money Brian Rolston fetched from New Jersey (20 mil/4 yr). I find it interesting that the Minnesota Wild powers that be determined Bouchard was worthy of a multi-year deal worth 20 mill over Brian Rolston. Clearly, AGE was a big factor.

The Minnesota Wild has always signed guys looking at the future as opposed to just next season. PMB is a young guy and will be able to play at a top level for the duration of his contract and let's face it, Brian Rolston is a bit older and taking the bumps and the bruises of the NHL in three years is going to be tough for him.

With an eye into the future, the Minnesota Wild believes they will be competitive every season, not just next season. I respect that methodology, but at some point, we have to find the player combination that will get us past the first round of the playoffs.

My favorite part about the PMB signing - the verbal agreement that the team will not trade him for 2 years. It was a handshake deal, nothing in writing, but the team agreed to keep him as long as he agrees to step it up. I think it is a good sign that the player and the management team trust each other. Thoughts Minnesota Wild fans??

Ralph Engelstad Arena is one of the finest hockey facilities in the nation. Sure, I have only been to six or seven, but REA in Grand Forks, North Dakota is top notch. I used to work for a corporate sponsor of the arena and we got a behind the scenes tour that was amazing. Now, I have never toured the Xcel Energy Center so I will try and tread lightly here, but I remember saying to the manager of REA and my Grand Forks counterparts that Ralph Engelstad Arena may be better than the Xcel Energy Center. There. I put it in print. I may be one of the biggest MN Wild Freaks out there, but I was in complete awe of Ralph Engelstad Arena and the amenities it offers.

When you enter the arena, you get the same feeling you get when you enter the X - hockey utopia. They have the same big round scoreboard and fancy graphics around the various seating levels, but there are a couple of noticeable differences as well. #1: the huge imported organ - it is gorgeous and puts that little zamboni piano at the X to shame. #2 no surface is unfinished - there are no concrete floors or pillars here, everything is brick or carpet or tile (most marble), including amazing mosaics bearing the Sioux Indian Head logo (don't care where you stand on the Indian logo issue, the mosaics are remarkable) #3 Italian soda machines, yes the Coke machines are imported from Italy - no joke.

I have never seen the Xcel Energy Center locker rooms (except on TV) or the workout facilities, but I was in complete awe of the REA facilities. Top of the line workout equipment and spas as well as a raised shock absorbent flooring system to help prevent injuries. Even the elevator was beautiful! And the huge hockey history murals reminded me of the deep sense of tradition and pride you feel when you enter Mariucci Arena. It cost $104 million to build, but it shows in every aspect.

Want a road trip recommendation hockey fans? Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, North Dakota (but be careful wearing your Gopher gear!)

The Wild announced that the team will open training camp in Grand Forks, North Dakota at Ralph Engelstad Arena on September 20th because the Xcel will not be back to "normal" after hosting the Republican National Convention at the beginning of September. I sort of thought the X might not be ready on time, but I wasn't sure of the exact timeline.

Wild Assistant general manager Tom Lynn is quoted as saying, "Ralph Engelstad Arena is one of the finest hockey facilities in the world, and outside of our home in the Twin Cities, we could not imagine a better venue for starting our training camp in 2008."

I have been to REA before (I promise to post more about that tomorrow) and agree that it is a fine facility, but I have to say I am shocked that the Minnesota Wild didn't work out a deal to keep hockey in the Twin Cities. Mariucci? Blaine? White Bear . . .they have options. Are there any Wild fans out there that are offended that the Wild choose North Dakota? I know they play preseason games there and that the facility is one of a kind, but I am also very loyal to St Paul and the Twin Cities in general...hmmm....

The Minnesota Wild schedule is out! There are some tough games on there. I like that the NHL changed the format a bit to include more match-ups between Eastern Division teams, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't have hurt feelings if the powers that be skipped over the Minnesota Wild playing Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (@PIT 11/18) or the Minnesota Wild vs Washington Capitals (see Alex O at the X on 11/24).

It is cool that the Wild are in town for most of the major holidays including a long homestand around Thanksgiving (Nov 20 -28 / 5 straight home games) a December 23rd Xcel Energy Center game and the December 31st New Years Eve game at the X.

My most blaring concern is the month of March. Way too many road games. Especially since March is usually crunch time for playoff spots. The Wild have a history of keeping fans on the edge all through March. I am afraid with all of the road games, the edge won't be in our favor.

W1ldfan wrote this:

Tricky, this year to MARCH to the playoffs Did anyone notice that the Wild only have four home games in March out of sixteen? Might not be all that bad if they can rally around themselves and consider it a challenge to win a majority of those games. March is usually a big month as far as standings and positioning go, not to mention the, I'm not sure but believe the trade deadline is in March, could be wrong on that though. The flip side is they have only three road games in Feb. personally I would rather have it the opposite because of the fatigue factor as the season drags on. anyhow I am sure it's gonna be a great year and see ya all at Allorey's.

I completely agree that the March schedule is NOT FAVORABLE. I won't be saving too much money for playoff tickets because it could be a hard year. I will post more of my thoughts about the schedule next week and I will try to figure out how to put the entire schedule in my hockey wilderness sidebar.

I heard through the grapevine that the Wild would release their schedule today and the grapevine was partially correct. The Minnesota Wild announced their season opener game today. DRUMROLL, PLEASE . . . The Minnesota Wild season will officially start on Saturday October 11th at the Xcel Energy Center vs. the Boston Bruins.

The complete Wild Schedule is slated to be released Thursday by the NHL - only one day later than what the grapevine reported...that's not bad.

If you remember last years season opener, it was on Wednesday October 10th vs. the Edmonton Oilers and the Wild beat the Oilers 2-0. The Wild have a history of winning the opener. I am going to try and get some tickets to the game and head out to the X for the opener this year, but I am sure it won't be cheap! The ticket brokers have to love this - an opener on a Saturday night vs. an East coat rival like Boston. It's golden.

Canadian Nick Schultz was born August 25, 1982 in Strasbourg, Saskatchewan and has played on Canada's team three times for the World Championship.

In 2000, Nick Schultz was selected as a 2nd round choice and 33rd overall pick for the Minnesota Wild and has been gradually trained and tested for his speed and handling ability. In recent history, Schultz has not been a stand-out for the Wild, but has proved fairly reliable during game time. During the 2006-2007 season, Schultz scored only 2 goals with 10 assists. He improved those statistics slightly during the 2007-2008 season by recording 2 goals and 13 assists.

Following the 2006-2007 season, Nick Schultz was a restricted free agent. Schultz hoped for a long career with the Wild; however, he failed to negotiate a long term deal and signed a 1-year contract for $1.85 million. Fortunately for Schultz, after the 2007-08 season, the Wild agreed to a 6 year contract extension, securing his place on the team for many seasons to come.

Nick Schultz has been overshadowed by teammates Marian Gaborik and (old teammate) Pavol Demitra, but with his future secured with the Wild, insiders predict that he will rise to the challenge and prove himself to be a high caliber athlete who can increase his playing time and contribute to the team's success in 2008-2009.

OK, it's time for MN Wild Freak to get back to writing spotlight Minnesota Wild player profiles for your off-season reading pleasure. I will post one tomorrow (Sunday morning reading! Better than the paper). Here's a hint to who it will be: This Minnesota Wild player is missing his appendix. That's an easy hint, I know. But it's a beautiful Saturday and I have got to get out of the house!

If you read my Important Dates Fanshots entry then you know that the Minnesota Wild is in the middle of their annual Development camp. In fact, the Xcel Energy Center has been a flurry of hockey activity. A lot (27, actually) of the young Minnesota Wild players and prospects laced up their skates for development camp. It's the same names as last year like Colton Gillies, Cal Clutterbuck and Petr Kalus. But there are new guys, too like Cody St. Jacques, Steven Stanford and Justin Hodgman. And don't forget the fab four ( this years draft picks): Tyler Cuma, Marco Scandella, Sean Lorenz and Eero Elo. And other regular names like  James Sheppard, Benoit Pouliot and Brent Burns were working hard.

I saw Tyler Cuma (the link is to a YouTube video of Cuma - he sounds solid) on TV last night and he talked a good game. He seemed excited to be at the "X" and ready to prove his skills to the Wild coaches. The practices and scrimmages are closed to the public. That bums me out. I think it would be cool to head down to the Xcel and see the youngsters playing on the ice. It would be a way for the Wild to sell some merchandise and keep casual hockey fans interested during the off-season. Not to mention capitalizing on the summer tourism industry of St Paul and the surrounding areas. Does the Xcel offer tours? They should. With other tourist attractions like the Science Museum and the Landmark Center so close, it would be silly to let all of those tourism dollars walk on by.

Good luck at camp, boys!

Pavol Demitra signed with the Vancouver Canucks today for an $8-million, two-year deal. I am sure Gabby will miss him, but I know I won't. See ya, Demitra and don't think I will be wishing you any luck with the Canucks.

I read online that Pavol Demitra's interest in the Canucks was based on his desire to play in a hockey-crazed market (like he did in Minnesota!), to join a team with a top-notch goalie such as Roberto Luongo (or like Niklas Backstrom in Minnesota!), and to reunite with Canucks GM Mike Gillis -- his former agent (that's the missing link with the Wild...Demo doesn't like the direction of the team or the GM - no surprise there).

Last year was a flop for Pavol Demitra. He had trouble scoring as a center and blames the defense focused system of the Wild. I only 50% agree with him there. He also just plain sucked and was unable to play at center. Pavol Demitra believes that Vancouver is moving to a more offensive style of hockey and that is a better fit for him. I am sure he hopes to pummel the Wild and win a Stanley Cup. I guess we'll settle that on the ice in the fall.

The Minnesota Wild made a surprising move (or at least I was surprised) over the weekend when they signed veteran Owen Nolan to a two-year $5.5 million dollar contract. Nolan has 16 years NHL experience and the gray hair to prove it. He can easily win faceoffs and cover a corner with fierceness, but he isn’t the star center that this MN Wild Freak has been dreaming of. Nolan, 36, played for the Calgary Flames last year and the only reason I can see that the Wild really want him is for his leadership (?). Ever since Wes Walz up and left the team, the Minnesota Wild have been missing that guy to be sure that the team works together…every game.

"I think he'll be a great example for our young players on how to play the game," Doug Risebrough said. "He's a warrior, a respected veteran. He's a guy that uses his size and determination to get to the net, and in his case he pushes people to get there.”

Nolan will be an interesting addition to the Minnesota Wild locker room next year. I hope he can pull this mish mash of a team together so they can win some hockey games.  I hope he inspires the young guys and makes veterans like Mark Parrish step up their game.

I have to admit I was a skeptic about the popularity of last years (really this years) out door NHL New Year's Day game. I always thought New Years Day was reserved for college bowl games, but the NHL gave the NCAA a run for its money last year bringing in 71,000 fans to watch the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout.

This year (or really next year) is only going to be better. The Chicago Blackhawks will take on the Stanley Cup Champions Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Wrigley can't hold 70,000 but the novelty of having it at the stadium is worth the reduction of attendance. I have been to Wrigley to see the Cubs, but it would be even sweeter to see a frozen pond and some of the toughest NHL players hitting the boards. I would love to go to that game! Being from the Hockey WILDerness, I can easily take below freezing temps to see a good hard hitting game. I wonder when tickets go on sale?

It would be sweet to see the Minnesota Wild pull something like this off. Perhaps in that new outdoor Twins Stadium in 2011 or the new Gopher TCF Bank Stadium. This is the Hockey WILDerness - we deserve an outdoor game . . . at some point.

Minnesota Wild fans are passionate about hockey and I want this Wild blog to be a place where the passion can flare up. Sort of an uncensored community of Minnesota Wild hockey fans. In fact, I want to encourage Minnesota Wild fans to post everything from their favorite quotes in the fanshots section to their most heated rants in the fanposts section and comments on www.hockeywilderness.com. The blurb below was posted as a comment by W1ldfan, but I wanted to promote it to the front page so that other Wild fans can read it and be encouraged to post their own thoughts. Hockey Wilderness is listening so chime in Wild fans!

Read On!

One bad apple spoils the whole d@mn bunch
Easily the biggest and worst move D.R. made this offseason was getting Jacque to come back. Think maybe New Jersey will take him back too? Look at Voros, when he came up from Houston, he was flying out there. He hit everthing that moved. He crashed the net so hard that he literally RAN OVER THE NET. Voros was awesome to watch, I loved it. three months later you could barely find him out there. Do you think AV decided to take it easy out there? no, it was coached out of him by Lemaire. Players in the league don't want to play for Jacque. Superstar players don't want to play for a coach that refuses to hold the other team accountable for liberties taken on the star players. Case in point, Why was Gaborik on the ice for the OT in the last game of season against Col.? At the end of reg. all playoffs seeds had been decided. We knew we were playing the Ave, and they or at least Laperrier, knew they were playing us. He won that series before it even started. At that point Colorado thew down the gauntlet and even though he had a bench FULL of enforcers, Jacque never answered the call. People don't want to play for Jacque and if he wanted to go DR should have let him.

Happy Independence day Hockey Wilderness! Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

I will be back next week with updates on the Minnesota Wild roster and more Minnesota Wild player profiles!

The Minnesota Wild signed defenseman Kurtis Foster to a one-year deal worth $1.025 million. It doesn't surprise me that they kept him to a one year deal since they are saving up future dollars for Marian Gaborik, that and there are no guarantees that Foster will be a top player after his leg rehab.

The single year deal strategy is freaking me out a bit. I hope Doug Risebrough knows what he is doing. We lost Aaron Voros and Todd Fedoruk because he wouldn't offer any multi-year deals. I hope we aren't letting the talent we need slip away and the talent we have won't be as dedicated to team play if they are only working off a single year contract. I am in favor of multi-year deals whenever possible.

Still up in the air: Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Stephane Veilleux. Both have until Saturday to agree to a deal or go to arbitration. I would like to see them both stay. Any comments Wild fans?

The first day of NHL free agency was busy. The Minnesota Wild lost several players and gained a few as well. Here is the latest run-down of the biggest roster change headlines:

Minnesota Wild Added:
Andrew Brunette (3yr. $7mil)
Marek Zadlicky (2yr. $7mil)
Craig Weller (2yr. $1.2mil)

Minnesota Wild Lost:
Brian Rolston (signed with New Jersey Devils 4yr. $20mil)
Aaron Voros (signed with New York Rangers)
Todd Fedoruk (signed with Phoenix Coyotes)

Keep checking back to www.hockeywilderness.com for more updates and be sure to add your own comments to the site! This is a community for Minnesota Wild fans! Let your Minnesota Wild roster change opinions be heard!

A lot has been happening around the Minnesota Wild offices lately and the fans are fired up.

Thank you mnwild1 for your thoughts and feelings regarding the Wild losing Brian Rolston. I respected your quality fanpost so much I moved it to the front page of Hockey Wilderness so no one misses it. My feelings are this: yeah it sucks we lost Rolston. I wanted to sign him, too. I am pretty sure every Minnesota Wild fan wanted him back next year, but did he want to be back? I always contend that if players really want to be here they will give it their all. Rolston slapped the Wild in the face by not even responding to their offers prior to July 1st.

Did the Minnesota Wild low ball him? Probably. Considering we are paying Andrew Brunette $7 million for three years and they are the same type of player (I know many think Brunette won't replace Rolston, but yes they are the same). Brian Rolston had his mind made up that he was going to the free agency market and I think that injured Dougies pride and should be a sign to Minnesota Wild fans that Rolston wasn't feeling loyal to the Xcel Energy ice.

Brian Rolston moves on to the New Jersey Devils with a four year deal worth $20.25 million...the Minnesota Wild will move on, too. Don't despair...yet.

Minnesota Wild is dangerously (or not so dangerously - its in the eye of the beholder) close to entering next season without any of the TEN unrestricted free agents who played for the Minnesota Wild last season.

Let's look down the list (alpha by first name):

1. Aaron Voros - could be too expensive, Jacques would like him back
2. Branko Radivojevic - signed deal overseas
3. Brian Rolston - no deal, sent rights to Lightning
4. Chris Simon - signed deal overseas
5. Keith Carney - officially Wild not interested in pursuing
6. Matt Foy - officially Wild not interested in pursuing
7. Pavol Demitra - unofficially Wild not interested, expensive and Demitra wants out
8. Petteri Nummelin - signed deal overseas
9. Sean Hill - officially Wild not interested in pursuing
10. Todd Fedoruk - could be too expensive, Jacques would like him back

From the looks of my alphabetical list, only the first name and the last name have a chance to be in the Wild locker room next year. There is no doubt that the Minnesota Wild roster is going to have a lot of new names on it next season. I just hope they are the right names to make it past the first round of the NHL playoffs for a change.

I am blowing the whistle. We are going to take a time out from the Minnesota Wild player profiles (I know the one I posted is so awesome and overwhelming, you need a minute to catch your breath) to bring you some Minnesota Wild news - fast and furious, just like our Minnesota Wild team.

Wild Headline story number 1: Brian Rolston is going bye bye. Wild traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning for the next 24 hours. Rolston and the Wild have been at a stale-mate status for weeks after Rolston refused three offers. I am sure he will have plenty of suitors and I am not looking forward to playing against him next year.

Wild Headline story number 2: Wes Walz is moving to Florida. New Tampa Bay Lightning coach Barry Melrose named Wes Walz an assistant coach for next year.
See ya Wes.

Wild Headline story number 3: This is more of a warning or Minnesota Wild public service announcement: Brace yourself for free agency madness. We are on the cusp of craziness. Load up on the caffeine hockey fans, there will be a lot to keep an eye on tomorrow.

Fan favorite Niklas Backstrom is a goalie for the Minnesota Wild and has seen playing time increase ever since the 2006-2007 season when original starter goalie, Manny Fernandez, was sidelined due to a knee injury. In fact, the 2006-2007 season was Backstrom's first with the Wild. Although originally slated to be a back-up player, Backstrom saw lots of action starting halfway through the season and he racked up impressive statistics. Backstrom played 2227 minutes throughout the season .92 shots saved and 5 shut-outs.

During his 2007-2008 season, Backstrom played in 58 games for 3,408 minutes and became a key member of the Wild's success. Backstrom posted 4 shutouts and 1629 saves. In playoffs against Colorado, Backstrom made set the franchise playoff record of an impressive 44 saves in a single game which led to a victory in overtime.

Niklas Backstrom's career before signing with the Wild in June 2006 was filled with international play and tournaments, primarily with the Karpat Finland team since 1996. Backstrom was born February 13, 1978 in Helsinki, Finland and still lives there during the off season. Backstrom was also part of Team Finland in the 2006 Winter Olympics, though he did not see any ice time.

Niklas Backstrom is still evolving as a Wild player under the leadership of Coach Jacques Lemaire. After originally signing a one year contract in 2006, Backstrom negotiated an additional two year deal worth $6.2 million. He will now be a Wild player through the 2008-2009 season. After that, Backstrom said he expects to be traded though, depending on his performance, the Wild may want him back.

Tomorrow, I will start my daily segment of Minnesota Wild Player profiles. I will post a new player every day and my profiles will appear in no particular order. I will attempt to provide neutral, factual information. Check back every day to see who I profile next!

Here is a hint on tomorrow's spotlight Minnesota Wild Player: His first name means "Victorious People" according to one of those name heritage web sites.

For the coming season, the Minnesota Wild has 14 players under contract and three more whose rights the Wild retain. These 17 players are: left wingers Stephane Veilleux and Derek Boogaard; right wingers Marian Gaborik, Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Mark Parrish; centers Mikko Koivu, Eric Belanger and James Sheppard; defensemen Nick Schultz, Kim Johnsson, Brent Burns, Martin Skoula, Kurtis Foster, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Erik Reitz; and goaltenders Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding. Veilleux, Bouchard and Foster are not signed.

Over the next week or so I am going to spotlight some of these players on Hockey Wilderness. So check back to Hockey WILDerness and read the bios of my favorite Minnesota Wild players...well, my favorite Minnesota Wild Players with a contract, at least.

The Minnesota Wild has yet to sign Brian Rolston to a contract, but they have signed their broadcasters!

The Minnesota Wild decided to keep their TV and radio personalities in tact for the 2008-09 season. I guess I am not that surprised and I personally don't have any complaints about the announcers (but there are plenty of Minnesota WIld fans that do - share your terrible announcer storeis - here!). I like to hear what Mike Greenlay has to say about the teams dynamics. He mostly comments about the Minnesota Wild defense and I think that has to do with his experience as a former goaltender, but it works since Jacques Lemaire plays such a defense focused style of hockey. I also enjoy Greenlay's comments about the Anaheim Ducks. Like a lot of Minnesota Wild fans, I feel an intense rivalry with the Ducks and despite the fact that Greenlay was the radio analyst for Anaheim for a couple of years, I get the feeling he loathes the Anaheim Mighty Ducks team as much as I do.

Dan Terhaar will return to the television play-by-play spot for the Minnesota Wild and Bob Kurtz and Tom Reid (Tom Reid's Hockey Pub is a must see for any hockey fan, but it gets crazy on game days - be prepared to wait!) will return the WCCO 830 AM airwaves. All of these guys are Minnesota Wild regulars and are a cornerstone part of this hockey Wilderness!

I hate the fact that NHL makes rule changes just to make changes. I know they say the changes are recommended by the general managers and approved by the competition committee, but some of the changes are a bit off mark.

Change #1: a change to Rule 76.2 will place the first faceoff of a power play in the defending zone of the team that committed the foul. WHAT? I thought a team was supposed to earn the territory, not be handed the zone. The refs are lousy at calling accurate penalties 99% of the time and now we are going to give the favorable team an extra man AND an offensive face off. Crazy. I know the NHL wants to increase scoring, but earning the goals the old fashioned way will increase fan support. Remember the skate, skate, pass, pass, shoot? Apparently, skating is not a priority to the NHL.

Change #2: a change to Rule 85.5 states that if a puck is shot off the goal frame, goal post or crossbar, the subsequent faceoff will remain in the end zone where the puck went out of play. OK. WHATEVER.

Change #3: a change to Rule 81.1 states that "any contact between opposing players while pursuing the puck on an icing must be for the sole purpose of playing the puck and not for eliminating the opponent from playing the puck." The amended rule further states that "unnecessary or dangerous contact could result in penalties being assessed to the offending player." HALF-A$$ and you know it. This rule change came as a direct result of the Wild's own Kurtis Foster leg injury. San Jose rookie Torrey Mitchell chased down Foster on a potential icing call, made contact and Foster slammed into the boards breaking his leg, badly. It was a season ending injury, but could have easily been a career ending injury. This rule change is a false attempt to save lives. The NHL knows they need to do something to cover their butts in case it happens again, but they aren't willing to go to a no-touch icing.