Minnesota Wild

Mar 23, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise (11) celebrates his goal against the San Jose Sharks at the Xcel Energy Center. The Wild defeated the Sharks 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports Not only did Zach Parise make an immediate impact with his new team last season, he also made major contributions to Minnesota-based organization Defending the Blue Line (DTBL). DTBL’s mission is, “Ensuring that children of military members are affored every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey.” DTBL was started by Shane Hudella, who woke up with the idea while serving his country with the Minnesota Army National Guard on active duty. He founded the organization in 2009 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit designed to help military families with the high costs of hockey an helps ensure that children of military members are given every opportunity to participate in the sport. The organization provides free hockey equipment, access to summer hockey camps at no charge and provides monetary help to cover local association fees for military families. Parise’s partnership with the charity has increased partnerships off the ice as, this past season, DTBL partnered with Gander Mountain for the “Puck for a Buck” campaign. Puck for a Buck sold hockey pucks at retail and online Gander Mountain outfits. In addition to Parise, fellow Minnesota Wild players Cal Clutterbuck and Clayton Stoner, and former Wild forward Matt Kassian, also helped raise funds. The Wild has been an annual partner with DTBL by wearing camouflage jerseys in pre-game warm-ups before auctioning them off. The latest such game was on April 23rd before a 2-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings. “Things like the camo jersey auction will go toward paying association fees that might be out of reach for some of these families,” said Hudella. “The goal is to take one of the stresses for military families by getting their kids onto the ice. “For a lot of these families, hockey is out of reach. We help bridge the cost barriers.” Parise’s contributions didn’t stop there, however, as he also donated $10,000 to the organization prior to the game. He jokingly hinted that he might possibly try to bid on Wild captain Mikko Koivu’s camo jersey. “You want to be able to give them the ability to buy equipment for someone or hockey fees for someone,” Parise said. “Every little bit helps them.” For the full story from Wild.com, click here.

G'day, Wilderness! While it may be cloudy outside, it's still a great day here at the Wilderness. It can't be any better because after my 2 (and only) finals tomorrow, I'll be done with my freshman year at the University of St. Thomas. Yesterday, the editors here at the Wilderness did their final season grades for our left defensemen, and now, it's time to see how us staff writers graded them. Dan Czarnecki (WIMinnesotaWildFan) Ryan Suter: A Despite a slow start on his transition from the Predators to the Wild, he really came out of his shell halfway through this season when he scored his first goal in a Wild sweater against the Blackhawks back on March 6th. Along with Brodin, he really knew how to block shots from going in. Being nominated for the Norris trophy is also something he should be proud of. Good job this season, Suter! Clayton Stoner: C- Stoner's performance this season was mediocre to say the least. He does an ok job in our defensive zone, but I feel almost feel like he's past his prime. Sorry Stoner, I think your time with the Wild is coming to an end pretty soon. Justin Falk: C Falk's play this season was pretty inconsistent. Like many of our players, he would have an good night, and other nights, a bad night. I don't see him staying on the Wild, or for that matter, the NHL, for long unless he knows how to play with consistency. Marco Scandella: B Will he stay or will he go? That's the question many Wild fans were wondering about Scandella this season. He was spectacular down in Houston in the AHL, so why was he wasting his time down there? He finally got called back up to the Wild when they went to the playoffs, and it was a great learning experience for him. Aaron Holm (The Nooge) Ryan Suter: A Receiving my first A (and only?) in the grading department is one Ryan Suter. The Norris Trophy front runner, after starting out slow in what has been called an adjustment period turned his game around quickly. After hitting a low of -7 twice in the early parts of the season, Suter stormed back to an even +/- in late March and finished the regular season at +2. His 32 points (4g/28a) were tops amongst the blue line and 3rd overall on the team. His average time on ice a gaudy 27.17min/game was tops in the NHL. The question of whether Suter would flourish without Weber has been answered. This guy is everything he was billed up to be and I was very impressed with his game. Clayton Stoner: C- Clayton Stoner had his moments this season that made you want to rip your hair out. As the season wore on these occasions seemed to crop up more frequently. His 42 PIM were tops amongst the Wild's defensive core and definitely something that stuck out to me. At times the game seemed too fast for him, and he would struggle to move the puck out of the defensive zone. With some work in the off-season hopefully the game will slow down for him. His 6'4" frame is an intangible on the ice, and if his development continues we should start noticing less gaffes a better play coming out of the D-zone. Justin Falk: D- Coming in 2nd place in defensive penalty minutes is one Justin Falk. I struggle to recall anything Falk does good on the ice. 3 points, all from assists, -9 and the aforementioned penalty minutes are certainly nothing to be proud of. At just 24 years old this past season, he at least has a lot of room for improvement, A LOT of room ... Marco Scandella: B- Playing just 11 games for the Wild when you combine the regular season with the playoffs, Scandella did not disappoint with the limited time he filled in. Playing in all 5 playoff games he was the top scoring defensive player notching a goal and an assist for just 2 points. While not crazy impressive numbers, they are pretty good for a 22 year old kid playing against the best team in the Western Conference. This kid should get a good look next season and hopefully see some more time on the ice with the Minnesot

With the first overall pick, the Minnesota Wild is pleased and proud to select... Ha! We can dream. Most likely going to be the first overall pick, Seth Jones was fourth in WHL defenseman scoring with 56 points in 61 games. He was Portland's #1 defenseman and was just rock solid defensively. He also starred on Team USA during the World Junior Championships scoring 7 points in 7 games, winning the gold medal. There really isn't Jones doesn't have. He has size and strength, he is a rock defensively, make strong breakout passes, can play both physical or finesse game; he can do it all. If I had to nitpick, I would say that he doesn't display elite offensive creativity that a Erik Karlsson might show, but like Ryan Suter, he will put up the points without the flash while playing a ridiculous amount of minutes and being unbeatable defensively. But if you hold the first overall pick and want a sure-fire player that will be key to your team's future success, Seth Jones makes an excellent choice. Expect to see him gone first on draft day. Introducing our 2013 NHL #1 Draft Prospect - Seth Jones SETH JONES Defense / Portland Winterhawks (WHL) Height: 6-4 Weight: 205 GP G A P +/- PIM 2012/13 - Portland 61 14 42 56 46 33 Projection: #1 franchise two-way defenseman. 40-50 points while playing 30+ minutes a night against opposing top lines. #1 PP and #1 PK. Strengths: Elite two-way presence Elite physical tools + athleticism Ability to dictate the pace of the game Versatile shot selection + strong slapshot Weaknesses: Not much creativity in the offensive zone Quotes: Future Considerations For his size, Jones is an excellent skater. Has a long, smooth and powerful stride. He is very mobile and has great reflexes and shows off great agility when needing to go side-to-side or needing to quickly transition from skating forwards to back. He makes strong outlet passes and works the power play point like a seasoned pro would. Jones also has a killer shot. It's extremely hard and he has the ability to get it on net, despite traffic. He's an imposing player due to his natural size and definitely isn't afraid to hit or use his body but lacks that ‘killer’ aggressive physical nature. Jones is very quick in his decision-making and rarely makes a mistake in any situation. His defensive awareness and own zone play is strong as he handles attackers consistently well by either standing them up, pushing them to the outside or buy calmly poking the puck away. Prospect Jersey (What Would They Look Like In a Wild Jersey?): If only... Video Evidence: Seth Jones Highlights (via DumbassShello) Special thanks to HFBoards, Future Considerations, The Hockey Writers, TSN, OHLProspeccts and The Scouting Report

Good day to you Wilderness. I hope this Tuesday finds you well and any friends and family you have in Oklahoma and the surrounding area are safe and well. Yesterday was another tough day for the soul to bare. Mother nature showed some of its worst to the people of Oklahoma as tornadoes tracked up and down the landscape. Entire sections of towns were wiped from the Earth, and no area hit harder than the city of Moore, OK. Situated between Oklahoma City and the home of the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Moore is a town of just over 56 thousand people. No story here is worse than that coming from Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore. As a father of a kindergartner, these are the images nightmares are made of. I can only imagine what some of these parents are going through right now. Hometown got hit for the gazillionth time. Rise again Moore Oklahoma. Godspeed.Prayin - T— Toby Keith (@TobyKeithMusic) May 20, 2013 Once again Wilderness we are reminded that hockey, or sports in general take a back seat at times like this. Our thoughts go out to our friends in Oklahoma and anywhere affected by these devastating storms rolling through the plains the last couple days. Stuff that doesn't matter... Wild News Minnesota Wild 2013 Season Player Grades: The ForwardsWait, other people are allowed to give the Wild grades too? Prospect Watch: Mikael Granlund’s Short, Sweet IIHF World Championship Tournament - Gone Puck WildMikael Granlund notched a goal and two assists in four games with Finland at the 2013 IIHF Men's World Championships. Tending The Fields The Third Intermission: Shootout video from first Houston Aeros game back in 1994I was 13 when this took place ... I feel old. First Round Bust: #NHLDraft2013: Minnesota High School Hockey Part I: The Headliners...Tommy Vannelli, Minnetonka HSTop Minnesota defensive draft prospect Thomas Vannelli has a heck of a lot of hockey sense. Curious as to what he might learn under the tutelage of one Ryan Suter. Off The Trail Datsyuk, Miller, Nyquist score to help Red Wings beat Blackhawks 3-1 to take 2-1 series lead | StarTribune.comWhat's going on Chicago? You looked so good against whomever that last team was you played. Blackhawks robbed by refs on no-goal in Game 3 vs. Red Wings? (Video) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsThe video evidence of the Blackhawks lost game tying goal. Decide for yourself Wilderness, were the Blackhawks robbed? Mark Messier Leadership Award Finalists: Alfredsson vs. Brown vs. Toews | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! Sports... and the Messi goes to ... The goal that saved the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season | Backhand ShelfOne of the only times you can view a goal against as a good thing. Unless of course your backup fouls up big time. In which case you are in a world of hurt. Kronwall’d: On the Pain Train that is Niklas Kronwall | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.comLove him or hate him, this guy hits like a freight train. He's never been suspended, but then again ShannyNoBanny used to wear the wheeled wing too. Max Domi opted to throw a disgusting through-his-own-legs saucer pass tonight | Backhand Shelf | Blogs | theScore.comWatch it, now watch it again! Amazing! NHL 14 cover vote: Datsyuk, Brodeur, Tavares and Bobrovsky are final four | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsHave you voted for the NHL 14 cover yet? This article comes complete with EA cover conspiracy theory video as well. Hockey announcer becomes emergency linesman after nasty accident, concussion | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsIn today's hockey news of the weird, we bring you this little gem from the Australian Ice Hockey League. NHL Tooth Watch: Cataloging all the lost fangs in the 2013 playoffs | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsThe Tooth Fairy has been working overtime in these NHL playoffs. On The Pitch Minnesota United FCGet to know these guys Wilderness, soccer coverage will be kicking into high gear here this summer! There is even a game tonight as Minnesota Un

By NiNYEnd of season TDI! Yeah we finally got around to it. It's an end of season recap show, what would you expect to be in it? Thanks for listening this season. We had a lot of fun doing the podcast, and we will keep it rolling as long as both of you keep listening to it. Stay tuned for more fun and original programming this summer!

Apr 9, 2013; St. Paul, MN, USA; Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund (64) against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Xcel Energy Center. The Blackhawks defeated the Wild 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports After the Minnesota Wild were eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in Round One of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, top prospect Mikael Granlund headed overseas to reinforce Finland’s run at the World Championships. Playing in the final four of 10 games played by Finland in the 2013 Men’s IIHF World Championship Tournament, Granlund scored a goal and two assists for three points in leading his country to fourth place in the tournament. In 23 career Men’s World Championship games, Granlund has been exceptional, scoring four goals and 13 assists for 17 points and a plus-3 rating. Considered the Minnesota Wild’s top prospect heading into last season, the 9th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft scored in his NHL debut, then seemed to struggle for the rest of the season as other youngsters like Charlie Coyle, Jason Zucker and Jonas Brodin seemed to pass him on the top prospect list. Part of the reason is that Granlund’s game particularly shines on the European/International level, considering the size of the ice rink. His vision, passing and hockey I.Q. are ideally suited for the larger Olympic-sized rink. The playoff-like intensity of a lockout-shortened season is no time to break a prospect into the North American style of game. With a year of NA pro hockey under his belt, “Granny” should be much more prepared for next season and gives Minnesota another top-6 forward option with the almost guaranteed departure of Pierre-Marc Bouchard and the possible departure of Matt Cullen.

Welcome back Wilderness. Today starts week 2 of season grades, where everyone will get to sound off on the blue line and the goalies. Today's grades are one editor short because JS got caught doing some moosey stuff and couldn't get his grades in. (What a slacker right?!). So, without any more distractions, bring on the left side defenders! Ryan Suter Bryan- Ryan Suter - Suter for Norris. That is all. Grade: A Dan- Norris candidate, 30 minutes a night. What else is there to say? A++ Emilie- Honest to God, anyone who doesn't think Suter deserves an A+ for this season should hand in their fan card. Even though he got off to a rocky start, he was by far the best player on the ice. Instrumental to helping Brodin adjust to the NHL. Worth the whole 98 mil and more. A+ Clayton Stoner Bryan- This one is a bit more tricky. Stoner had some really rough patches this season. Simple mistakes that led to real consequences for his team, and yet Mike Yeo never wavered in his support for Stoner. While Stoner is likely playing a bit outside of his usefulness being on the second pairing, that does not forgive the level of play he has given this season. He looked slow, behind the play, and far too often could not make the little play that needed to be made to break up a scoring chance. Some basic hockey level things, like... don't pass the puck across ice in your own zone when Marian Hossa is standing right there. Grade: D Dan- Some people might not like him but I love him. He's a cheap, reliable option at the #4/#5 slot and gives the team some grit on the blueline. Took him awhile to arrive in Minnesota but when he did, he played like a vet. B Emilie- The main issue for Stoner is that he was forced to play a top 4 spot this year when he has no business doing so. And frankly, that isn't his fault at all. I know he was someone everyone loved to hate this season, but with the exception on a few boneheaded plays I don't think he was THAT bad. Would love to see him round out the bottom six, where there's no doubt in my mind he would thrive. C- Justin Falk Bryan- Going to be a rough day for D grades, apparently. Falk is one player who I honestly cannot figure out how he continues to stay in the NHL. A few times, here and there, he figures out that he is bigger than most guys on the ice, throws his weight around, and is a decent enough player. Then, there is the other 99% of the time, when Falk is tripping over himself, making bad plays, struggling to do the absolute minimum, and just all around being bad at what he does. THere really is no reason to heap on here. If I'm the Wild, I'm looking for a way to offload him as soon as I can. Grade: F Dan- Some people REALLY don't like him but he doesn't deserve the crap he gets. He may be a big defenseman that doesn't play big but I love the way he sometimes steps up and helps out the offense. Consistency is a bit of an issue but really doesn't deserve to be our whipping boy this year. I can think of two other players that deserve that title more than Falk. B- Emilie- Honestly, I don't remember much of Falk's season. I was looking up stats on Hockey DB thinking he must not have played very many games, but apparently he actually played in 36 regular season games. No goals, 3 assists, 40 PIM and a -19. C- Marco Scandella Bryan- It seems we have a Dr. Jeckl and Mr. Hyde thing going on with Scandella. Sent to Houston, mostly because he could be, Scandella had a rough season for the Aeros. Imagine Falk, but worse. However, when the Aeros hit the stretch run, the AHL playoffs, and the Wild called him up for the NHL playoffs, Scandella was a revelation. Confident, fast thinking, puck moving... what Scandella should be. If the Wild get the Scandella from the playoffs for next season, the D-corps is vastly better than it was this year. Grade: B- Dan- Fell out of existence during the entire year but when it came to the most important games of the year during the playoffs, he played like a boss! I

Prepare yourself for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft! This will be the first time in Minnesota Wild history that the team will be without a first round pick but silver lining is that all rounds will be on a single day instead of separated into two so we Wild fans will have something to do! And do not fret! The Wild have found some real gems in the second round. Jason Zucker, Johan Larsson, Marco Scandella, Josh Harding, Nick Schultz etc. Below, you'll find alot of draft resources (including HW stuff) to prepare for the very special day! Book mark this post as we'll update this daily! Minnesota Wild 2013 NHL Draft Picks Round Pick Name Position Team 2 46 3 70* 3 81** 4 107 5 137 6 167 7 197 * Traded Marek Zidlicky to Devils for Kurtis Foster, Nick Palmieri, Stephane Veilleux, 2012 second round pick (#46-Raphael Bussier), 2013 conditional third round pick (if Devils reach 2012 Eastern Conference Finals and Zidlicky plays in 75% of games in first two rounds of 2012 playoffs) ** Traded James Sheppard to Sharks for 2013 third round pick Thanks to prosportstransactions.com for the info Pre-Draft Materials Minnesota Wild Draft History Draft Resources Future Considerations (tons of draft insight + rankings) The Scouting Report (alot of draft information) OHLProspects (great, detailed stuff on the OHL) WHLFrom-Above (great, detailed stuff on the WHL) The Hockey Writers (tons of stuff) TSN Draft Centre (includes Bob Mackenzie's rankings, Craig Button's rankings, Central Scouting's rankings and International Scouting Services' rankings) HW 2013 Draft Prospects (click on player name to visit each post) Rank Name Position Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Good morning Wilderness! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the moisture falling from the sky, not in snow form. We had a busy day in the hockey yesterday as the Hockey World Tournament finished up in Sweden with the host country claiming gold over Switzerland and USA found a way to win the bronze medal in a shootout over Finland. If your in the Twin Cities area it was a good day to have a 'stay in bed and watch hockey' day. Our afternoon and evening hours gave us a pair of NHL playoff games where we saw the Boston Bruins beat up on the New York Rangers, and your evening game between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins could not be decided in 60 minutes, or 80 minutes for that matter. I won't bore you with the details folks, that's what the links are for. Wild News Rand: Here's what local pro teams are missing | StarTribune.comWith all 4 big local teams "getting better", we ask why what we have is not enough, and what is needed to break through to the next level. Off The Trail Sunday Funnies: Choker’s Anonymous | Backhand ShelfBecause who doesn't like to have chuckle at other peoples expense? Don Cherry says NHLers 'nuts' to play at hockey worlds - Yahoo! SportsDon Cherry, never short on words, gives you his take as to why hockey players shouldn't play hockey. Pittsburgh’s Gulf Tower turns into goal light for Penguins’ playoff run (Video) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsThe Penguins are not a team I have an appreciation for, but this is pretty cool. Greening scores in 2nd OT; Senators rally to beat Penguins to cut series hole to 2-1 | StarTribune.comOttawa ties the game very late in regulation. Then both teams felt like playing almost half of another game before they would finish up. Johnny Boychuk breaks tie, Bruins beat Rangers 5-2, take 2-0 lead in Eastern Conference semis | StarTribune.comBoston wins convincingly at home, and we also saw the rare playoff hockey fight. Sweden nabs gold at hockey worlds on home soilSweden won the world hockey championship Sunday, defeating Switzerland 5-1 in the gold-medal game in Stockholm. U.S. beats Finland, claims bronze at World Hockey Championship - CBSSports.comThe U.S. downed Finland in a shootout to claim its first medal at the World Hockey Championship since 2004. First Round Bust: #NHLDraft2013: Minnesota High School Hockey Part I: The Headliners...Connor Hurley, Edina HSEdina standout Connor Hurley on the Wild's radar? 2013 Central Scouting Final Rankings Movement Tracker | The State of Hockey NewsWith the Wild's season over, a welcome distraction from what might have been is to focus on what can be. Awkward: this rendition of the American national anthem | Backhand ShelfTo those who would point fingers and laugh, you try singing in front of thousands of people sometime. That being said, you should at least know the song your going to sing in front of so many, props to her for finishing it.

Good morning Wilderness, and welcome to your second consecutive stormy morning here in MN. If your not here, insert your own weather quip here. The Wild are still out of the playoffs, and my entire family aside from me is ill at the moment so pardon me for being brief this morning. Reminder: This week the HW editors and staff will bring you the defense and goalie grades for the Wild. Everyday their is more content being published so you can get your hockey fix in summer so stick around would ya!? Wild News Minnesota Wild: Evaluating Franchise After Round 1 ExitExamining the Minnesota Wild's trajectory after their return to the playoffs in 2013. Minnesota Wild: Free agent Bouchard wants more ice time, not money - TwinCities.comPierre-Marc Bouchard has spent 11 years in Minnesota, playing for three head coaches and two front office regimes while battling concussions that sidelined him for almost 150 games over four seasons. Off The Trail Crosby's hat trick puts Penguins firmly in control of series with Senators | StarTribune.comDan Bylsma has spent more than four years watching Sidney Crosby be Sidney Crosby Brunner, Smith lead charge as Red Wings beat Blackhawks 4-1 in Game 2 to tie Western semifinal | StarTribune.comIn case they weren't aware already, the Chicago Blackhawks now know they're going to have to earn it if they want to get past Detroit Ottawa star Jason Spezza to return to Senators lineup for Game 3 against Penguins | StarTribune.comJason Spezza doesn't have much time to return to form if the Ottawa Senators want to extend their season Sharks fined $100,000 for GM Doug Wilson's comments about Raffi Torres' suspension | StarTribune.comNHL to the Sharks, "If we wanted your opinion we'd give it to you." Logan Couture scores PP goal in OT to give Sharks 2-1 victory over Kings in Game 3 | StarTribune.comI didn't have time to watch anything last night, but the Sharks don't lose at home either so it wasn't too torn. Rangers (the other kind) help motivate Boston Bruins as they push toward Stanley Cup | StarTribune.comNo, not the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.... NHL’s awesome ‘Playoff Sounds of Round 1′ video is your ‘24/7’ fix | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsSome audio/video clips put together for your enjoyment. Penner blasts refs for having ‘gall to guess’ on goalie interference call | ProHockeyTalkEveryone's a critic... Switzerland shuts out Team USA, faces Sweden in gold medal game | ProHockeyTalkIt's their first finals appearance since 1935. NHL Three Stars: Niemi, Couture shine for Sharks; Wings even up Hawks | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsSelf explanatory Kings goalie Jonathan Quick abuses officials, gets game misconduct and $200 fine (Video) | Puck Daddy - Yahoo! SportsStill not as good as this