2005 Minnesota Wild

The long-awaited return to the ice in 2005-06 was a tough one for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild wrapped up the regular NHL season with a record of 38 wins to 36 regulation-time losses and 8 overtime losses, for a total of 84 points. That ranked them at the bottom of the Northwest Division, and out of the running for the 2005-06 National Hockey League Playoffs. However, the Wild were far from having the lowest point title in the Western Conference, with four other teams below them.

The Wild are not the first NHL team to play in Minnesota. The Minnesota North Stars played there from 1967 until 1993, when owner Norm Green moved the team to Dallas, Texas, and renamed it the Stars. Soon after the North Stars departed, a group of Minnesota investors began searching for a new team. On June 25, 1997, the NHL officially awarded expansion team franchises to Minnesota; Atlanta, Georgia; Nashville, Tennessee; and Columbus, Ohio.

Businessman Bob Naegele, Jr., who is associated with the in-line skate manufacturer Rollerblade, Inc., was the Wild's lead investor and was most closely involved in bringing the team to Minnesota. He heads Minnesota Hockey Ventures, the company that owns the Wild. The Wild's first season in the NHL was the 2000-01 campaign. Before the season the team filled its roster by selecting players in a series of drafts.

The Wild play their home games at the Xcel Energy Center, in St. Paul, which also serves as the venue for top-echelon concerts featuring stars like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, and Tim McGraw. Coast to Coast is happy to offer a great selection of tickets to concerts and sports in St. Paul, Minneapolis, and coast to coast!