Minneapolis — The NHL made its first regular-season foray into outdoor hockey with the inaugural Winter Classic on Jan. 1, 2008 featuring the Buffalo Sabres hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. Minnesota hockey fans waited eight long years and and watched 15 more outdoor games for their chance see one played in the State of Hockey.

It turned out to be worth the wait as Minnesota-bred players and college stars combined for three goals and five assists to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 6-1 NHL Stadium series game win over the Chicago Blackhawks in front of 50,426 at TCF Bank Stadium.

Former Gopher Erik Haula led the way for Minnesota-tied contingent with a pair of second-period assists in addition to being awarded his seventh goal of the season when Chicago’s Patrick Kane pulled him down on a breakaway with the Blackhawks’ net empty.

“I had a chance,” Haula said. “But Torch said that will be the easiest goal I’ll ever score and I’ll take it.”

The goal came nearly three years to the day since Haula last scored on the University of Minnesota campus on Feb. 22, 2013 against Minnesota Duluth across Oak Street at Mariucci Arena. Ironically, it was an empty-net goal.

“What a feeling,” Haula said. “First to get the win and the whole team to play that well and having 50,000 people being back where you, kind of where you started.”

White Bear Lake’s Ryan Carter assisted on Matt Dumba’s first-period goal to open the scoring and his sixth goal of the season made it 5-0 early in the third. Haula’s fellow former Gophers Thomas Vanek (goal) and Mike Reilly (assist) chipped in as did Minnesota-Duluth’s Justin Fontaine who added an assist of his own on Dumba’s goal.

In a strange twist, Bloomington’s Zach Parise, tied with Charlie Coyle for the team lead in goals, was kept off the score sheet.

“It was fun seeing those guys score,” Wild defenseman Ryan Suter said. “I think Haulsy was really loving it after the game. But it’s good to see those guys have fun here back where it all started for them.”

Vanek’s second-period power play goal gave the Wild a 2-0 lead just past the seven minute mark. It was Vanek’s first goal on campus since a March 12, 2004 6-1 WCHA first-round playoff game win over St. Cloud State. The proud Gopher enjoyed an uncharacteristically animated goal celebration.

“It’s been a while but it feels good to be back,” said Vanek who has seven points (3-4–7) in his past seven games. “I usually don’t celebrate too much but today here, back on campus, big game, big crowd, it was fun.”

Reilly, who along with Jason Pominville assisted on the the goal, said it was exciting for him and his fellow alums to contribute to such an important win.

“Vanek did a great job tipping that puck for the shot by [Pominville] and Haula played really well as well,” said Reilly who now has three assists in his past two games. “It’s great to have the alumni like us to kind of carry on the tradition a little bit.”

The players soaked in what was described as an incredible atmosphere and left with lasting memories.

“Definitely a few goosebumps, for sure, walking out there,” Reilly said.

“It’s something you’ll probably never forget,” Haula added. “And then to have, to play it here is extra special for sure.”

Carter, one of two native Minnesotans along with Parise (Reilly was born in Chicago) to play in the game called the experience “awesome” and took the time to reflect on  a lifetime of memories as the day wore on.

“Being back home and the setting was kind of set; the snow flew in the first,” Carter said. “I look up in the stands, there’s a group of White Bear jerseys too.  And you hear the band playing and it brings you back to your college days a little bit.  It was kind of like a time warp through my career and into pro hockey.  And in the third there we got up, what was it, 5-0 or something like that, 6-1, and I sat back and said this is pretty cool.  This is pretty neat.”

The post Home ice advantage appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Wild players take shooting skills off the ice, into the field

It was the first bird they saw that day. The small, energetic yellow lab, Izzy, flushed it out of a row of corn and with an ear-ringing blast, Nate Olson fired and hit his mark.

He looked over at Wild defenseman Keith Ballard and quipped, “you want the next shot?”

It was a day that could succinctly be summed up as fun. Four Minnesota Wild fans and their guests got to spend an afternoon pheasant hunting with a Wild player on Saturday afternoon at Wild Wings at Oneka Hunt Club in Hugo, Minnesota.

Olson was one of four winners in the Gander Mountain “Hunt with the Wild” sweepstakes. He brought along his father, Steve, as the two have hunted together ever since Nate was a young boy in Hancock, Minnesota where Steve lives. While they were paired with Ballard, forwards Ryan Cater, Kyle Brodziak and Justin Fontaine also took part in the experience.

Each winner received a guided pheasant hunt with a member of the Wild, along with a catered lunch and dinner, an autograph signing session and gifts from Gander Mountain. Hunters were also outfitted with field wear from Browning, boots from Irish Setter and shotguns from Benelli.

Ballard, who enjoys hunting when he can, noted that the day was a nice break from hockey and an interesting way to interact with fans.

“That’s what’s fun about it; it’s away from hockey and away from the rink,” Ballard said. “And it’s something that they’re interested in and it’s something that I enjoy doing.

“It’s nice to get away from hockey a little bit. It’s a long season. And it’s only half a day but to get your mind off it and do something else or think about something else — which is very important. You can drive yourself crazy sometimes if you don’t.”

Saturday marked the second installment of the hunt. Last year was the first, which the defenseman also participated in, along with former Wild defenseman Clayton Stoner.

Olson, a Golden Valley native, wasn’t aware of last year’s hunt, but heard about this year’s event through Facebook and figured he would sign up.

“I was surprised when I got a call; I thought they were trying to sell me something, to be honest,” Olson joked. “They were like ‘want to hunting next weekend?’ And well, I was like ‘Yeah, I’ll go hunting.’”

While the exchange was simple and understated, Olson enjoyed to opportunity to get to know a player from one of his favorite teams and share the experience with his dad. While it was his first time at Wild Wings, Olson would recommend the experience to anyone interested in the future.

“They’ve been great hosts and we got all sorts of great gear,” Olson said. “It’s been awesome.”

While Ballard likes to hunt, the last time he was able to spend an extended amount of time hunting was during the lockout two years ago. Being from Minnesota, it’s a lifestyle he’s grown up with and truly enjoys. It’s made even better now that he’s back in his home state.

After a long day in the field, all the groups shared a nice meal of pheasant potpie and got the chance to talk about their experiences — and of course brag about how they fared.

As a veteran of the event, Ballard was quick to note that the end of the day meal was one of the best parts.

“The hunting is a lot of fun, the pheasant potpie is outstanding.”

The post Players, fans find wild game outdoors appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The following is the remainder of the Wild’s release:

Fontaine recorded 21 points (13-8=21) and a plus-6 rating in 66 games during his rookie season in the NHL in 2013-14. He added two points (1-1=2) in nine playoff contests with Minnesota. The 5-foot-10, 177-pound native of Bonnyville, Alberta, ranked tied for the fourth on the team in goals and T-12th amongst NHL rookies. His goal total was the third-highest by a Wild rookie and his plus-minus rating ranked second all-time.

The 26-year-old collected his first NHL goal 12 seconds into a contest against Dallas on Oct. 12, 2013, to set a franchise record for fastest Wild goal to start a game. The goal matched the NHL record for fastest first career goal. He also recorded the first hat trick by a rookie in franchise history when he collected three goals at Phoenix on Jan. 9, 2014.

Fontaine collected 111 points (39-72=111) in 137 games in two seasons (2011-13) with the Houston Aeros in the American Hockey League (AHL). He tallied 164 points (62-102=164) in 159 games during four seasons (2007-11) at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and helped the Bulldogs win the 2011 NCAA Championship.

The post Wild Re-Sign Justin Fontaine appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Matt Cooke’s return sparks 4-2 Game 4 win over Hawks, guarantees at least one more home game. 

SAINT PAUL—The Xcel Energy Center will host at least one more Stanley Cup Playoff game this postseason.

The Minnesota Wild ensured that on Friday night with a thrilling 4-2 Game 4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in front of 19,405 screaming faithful in St. Paul. The series is now tied 2-2 as the teams head back to Chicago for Sunday’s Game 5.

Ilya Bryzgalov, who made 18 saves in winning his second straight start, was not especially strong on goals by Patrick Sharp and Michal Handzus in the first two periods. But he finished strong with a huge right pad save on a Sharp breakaway late in the second followed by another big stop on Jeremy Morin in the third.

Chicago’s Corey Crawford finished with 27 saves and never looked comfortable in his crease, although that may have had something to do with the deafening sound of the home crowd repeatedly chanting his name in mocking fashion.

Sparked by the return of forward Matt Cooke from his recent suspension, Minnesota outshot the Blackhawks 31-20 and won for the fifth straight time at home this postseason, outscoring opponents 16-5 in the process.

“He’s a playoff performer,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “He was brought in here to do a lot of things and help you get to the playoffs, but the experience that he has, the way that first goal was created, that’s what we’re looking for.”

Cooke, whose knee-to-knee hit on Colorado’s Tyson Barrie in Game 3 of the Wild’s first-round series against Colorado cost him seven games, set up Justin Fontaine’s first career postseason goal to open the game’s scoring at 7:24 of the first period.

“He’s a playoff performer,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said. “He was brought in here to do a lot of things and help you get to the playoffs, but the experience he has, the way that first goal was created, that’s what we’re looking for.”

The physical winger played nearly 16 minutes in his return and led the team with five hits and three blocked shots. Cooke indicated his energy level should not be surprising.

“I should have fresh legs,” Cooke joked, referring to his layoff. “So I’ve got to go out there and lead the way and hopefully my energy is contagious and I felt like we were ready to go tonight right off the drop of the puck.”

Cooke delivered his first hit 20 seconds into his first shift and appeared to pick up right where he left off. He said his focus during the suspension was on making sure he was ready to step right back into the lineup and contribute for his teammates who, by beating Colorado without him, gave him the chance to play again this season.

“They helped me a lot and I wanted to go out and return the favor,” he said. “Part of that was me staying ready. So I think that going out and having the energy that I had, and being ready, I felt that right off the get go that I was in game shape. That benefited me a lot.”

Wild captain Mikko Koivu said the team took note of Cooke’s effort.

“He’s been there, he knows what it takes to win,” Koivu said. “It’s not easy to come out after seven games. Great effort by him to go out there and lead by example.”

Jason Pominville, Nino Niederreiter and Jared Spurgeon also scored for Minnesota and the Wild continued to stymie the high-flying Hawks offensively in limiting them to 20 shots on goal. Minnesota has held Chicago to 22 shots or less in each game of the series but allowed just two goals at home after surrendering nine in Chicago in Games 1 and 2.

“We’re always making them come through five guys, and that gets frustrating,” Zach Parise said. “We’ve been on the other side of that and it’s tough to play against a team like that. I think we’re working hard, we’re making it tough and we’re just playing a good defensive game.”

That defensive game has cut down on the transition goals the Blackhawks capitalized on at home, something Minnesota will have to continue to limit to have any chance of stealing a road game and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

“The first two games there was a lot of things that we were doing that were similar to what we’ve been doing at home, but it was just making that one big mistake,” Yeo said. “What we’ve been trying to do, what we’ve been trying to build on is the things that we’ve been doing well but limit the mistakes that we’re making and our guys have been doing a good job.”

The Wild and Blackhawks square off in Game 5 at 8 p.m. CT on Sunday night in Chicago on CNBC.

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Wild’s young stars take center stage in 4-0 Game 3 win over the Blackhawks.

SAINT PAUL—The goal light at the west end of the Xcel Energy Center rink, the end where Minnesota shoots twice, flashed for nearly the first two minutes of Tuesday night’s clash between the Wild and Blackhawks in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series. After two periods of tight checking, scoreless hockey, there was more than a hint of irony in the malfunction.

As it turns out, however, it was merely a prelude of what was to come at that end of the ice.

Former Gopher Erik Haula broke a scoreless tie just 1:41 into the third period, batting fellow rookie Justin Fontaine’s one-hop saucer pass out of midair behind Chicago goalie Cory Crawford, as the Wild scored four times in the final 20 minutes to beat the Blackhawks 4-0.

“When I received the puck I could see [Haula] flying on the outside and their D was taking the center of the ice away,” said Fontaine, Haula’s one-time WCHA rival at Minnesota-Duluth. “I just threw an area pass to the backdoor area and he was able to beat [the defenseman] to the puck.

“He was fast in college and he’s fast here. That’s a guy you’ve got to watch out for.”

“What I saw tonight was everybody was good in their role and he played a real important role for us like he has and he’s continued to grow,” Wild coach Mike Yeo said of Haula. “His speed to get there and to drive the net on that goal was evident.”

Haula, who saw the puck roll off his stick on a first-period breakaway attempt, had redemption on his mind as his game-winning play with Fontaine developed.

“I just kept thinking in my head [that] I hope I get another chance to bury one,” Haula said. “And [Fontaine] made a great play for me to do that.”

Embattled Wild goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov made 19 saves to earn his first postseason shutout in eight seasons to help Minnesota cut Chicago’s lead in the series in half at two games to one. Crawford finished with 14 saves.

Zach Parise had a goal and an assist while Jason Pominville assisted on two goals, but this was a night for the Wild’s younger players to shine.

Nino Niederreiter was a physical presence in Minnesota’s crucial Game 3 win. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

In addition to Haula and Fontaine—who earned his first career playoff point—Mikael Granlund scored twice, including an empty netter, with Charlie Coyle and Nino Niederreiter each adding an assist on the final tally.

“We see how important they are for our team but how much better they’re getting even in this postseason,” Parise said. “They’ve been so good for us at such great times in the games and I think they’re just going to keep getting better.”

While Coyle and Niederreiter ended up on the score sheet, that’s not where they made the greatest impact on the game. Both played outstanding physical games, winning battles along the boards, in the corners and, in Niederreiter’s case, behind the Chicago net.

“Your top skilled guys on both sides are getting very, very keyed on so that’s when you need other parts of your lineup to come through,” Yeo said. “You need other parts of your lineup to make plays.”

It’s something Granlund and his fellow twenty-somethings fully understand.

Mikael Granlund watches as his shot heads for the back of the net for the first of his two third-period goals as Chicago’s Brent Seabrook dives in a futile attempt to stop it. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

“Obviously we have a lot of young guys, we have our roles, and obviously we need to step up,’’ Granlund said. “Every player on this team needs to play at a high level.’’

Granlund’s first goal, coming just 2:37 after Haula’s, was a thing of beauty. Pominville’s cross-ice pass found the trailing Granlund in the left circle who got Crawford to bite on his forehand before shoveling a backhand shot inside the right post.

Not only did it serve to electrify the record 19,416 spectators, the goal gave Minnesota a playoff rarity: a multi-goal lead, one the Wild refused to surrender for a change.

Yeo said his young stars haven’t been daunted by the postseason challenge, primarily because it’s simply not an option.

“They play prominent roles and we need these guys to be really good,” Yeo said. “They’re learning on the fly and … this game is another opportunity to grow and so is the next one.”

The Wild have a day off on Wednesday and return the practice ice on Thursday to prepare for Friday’s Game 4 back at Xcel Energy Center. Faceoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. CT and can be seen nationwide on NBC Sports Network.

The post The Kids Are Alright appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Featured Image:
Minnesota’s Justin Fontaine shields the puck from Dallas’ Stephane Robidas in the Wild’s 5-1 win on Oct. 12, 2013 in St. Paul, Minn.
Fontaine scored his first NHL goal just 12 seconds into the game.
MHM Photo/Jeff Wegge)

When former Minnesota-Duluth Bulldog Justin Fontaine first began preseason camp with the Minnesota Wild back in the late summer, there was very little assurance that he’d even stick with the big club this season.

“It was kind of wait and see how I produce,” Fontaine says. “I think they kind of knew it was a learning curve for anyone especially for a guy new to the league so I was just happy to make the opening roster.”

Fontaine has done more than just make the roster. Through the second week in January, Fontaine has played in 43 games, sits third on the team in goals scored with 12 and is ninth on the team in total points with 17. For a guy whose ticket to Iowa was practically already printed before the season, Justin Fontaine is living the impossible dream and he’s done it by being whatever player the Wild need him to be, on any given night.

“I try to be a very versatile player, be able to play with some skill guys,” says Fontaine. “Or be in a checking role and get some pucks or just bring some energy.”

The energy is working. On Jan. 9 in Phoenix, Fontaine netted his first career hat trick. Though they weren’t the prettiest of goals and the final came on an empty-netter, it was a milestone that he was glad to accomplish. In fact, when asked he can hardly hide is glee that he’s already recorded one mid-way through his rookie season.

“Yeah it was pretty awesome,” he chuckles. “It was something I never thought would happen this year that is for sure. Getting three in a night is always a great accomplishment. It was just one of those nights where the puck bounces and finds the back of the net.”

Fontaine has certainly made the good bounces count with his willingness to do what it takes and his hustle, but injuries to key Wild players have helped also. Mikko Koivu and Zach Parise, who have accounted for a lot of the team’s points this season, have missed significant amounts of time due to injury, which has given someone like Fontaine a window of opportunity. One that he intends to make the most of.

“In order to win games, you need guys to step up,” says Fontaine. “We’ve been able to do that as a young crew right now. We’ve been able to step up into more ice time and play effectively and help our team.”

Former UMD star
Justin Fontaine is enjoying
a dream season with the Wild.
(MHM Photo/Jeff Wegge)

Part of the gig of being a rookie is having a thick skin, in fact it’s imperative. You must constantly play your best hockey while dealing with the pressures from coaches and fans. And do it all while not looking too much over your shoulder at the guy looking to take your place. That is something that everyone, from a top draft pick to an undrafted free agent like Fontaine must deal with. But if you think it’s tougher being a guy the team used a draft pick on, Justin Fontaine begs to differ.

“It’s probably even a little bit more pressure,” says Fontaine. “A guy like that (a top pick) will have time to stick around and learn and develop if things don’t go his way right away. Whereas with me I am on a two-way [contract] and it could be up or down. So it’s a lot of pressure.”

But it’s pressure that Fontaine’s not only been able to handle, but thrive under.

“Every day you’ve got to approach it like you never know if it could be your last,” Fontaine says. “It’s a lot to think about and take in but ultimately you have to go out there and play your game.”

And if Justin Fontaine continues to play the way he has, he could soon guarantee that he won’t be playing his last day in Minnesota anytime soon.

Not bad for a kid who was nothing but an afterthought to start that season.

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