Leipold: Hopeful Future for the Minnesota Wild

Craig Leipold looks back nostalgically on his early days as an NHL team owner. He vividly recalls Ray Whitney's decisive goal for the Florida Panthers in 1998 and Andrew Brunette's first goal for the Nashville Predators. He shares this historical knowledge from his suite at the Xcel Energy Center while his current Wild face off against the Chicago Blackhawks. Leipold has owned the Wild for 14 years and, in his 26th NHL season, he remains full of enthusiasm. Despite the challenges, he has clear goals for the team: strong goaltending, efficient power play, and solid penalty killing. He believes this formula will pave the way back to the playoffs. Looking forward with optimism, Leipold outlined the plan to secure superstar Kirill Kaprizov long-term. Next summer, the team will have considerable resources available as significant contractual obligations expire. Leipold is optimistic that these financial resources will help attract Kaprizov and other high-caliber players to Minnesota. His vision: sustained playoff presence and a quest for victories. Additional capital could also be allocated for key new acquisitions like Brock Boeser or Brock Nelson, should they leave their current teams. Additionally, high-class talents such as Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Carter Verhaeghe are potential reinforcements. However, the top priority remains extending Kaprizov's contract to honor his drive to win and provide him the best possible conditions. Leipold's commitment also shows in planned modernizations of the Xcel Energy Center and its surrounding area. These comprehensive projects include expansions of event and parking facilities and enhancing fan experiences. Despite current political uncertainties in the city of St. Paul, the Wild's owner is working intensively on implementing these long-term visions. Economically, the franchise is strong, with impressive sponsorship deals and sold-out seats at the Club Level. Nonetheless, the challenge remains to increase ticket sales on game days. Here, Leipold sees potential to tap into new target groups. There is also good news in the area of TV broadcasts: the current payments from local TV partner Bally Sports North have been made. For the future, the team has already planned alternative broadcasting options should a new contract with the network not materialize. Craig Leipold moves forward, determined and hopeful, to realize his vision of a competitive, successful hockey team in Minnesota.