Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was founded in 2000, becoming the first NHL franchise in Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas. They lost their first game, 3–1, to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and recorded their first win against the Tampa Bay Lightning five games later. The Wild play at the Xcel Energy Center. In the 2002–03 NHL season, the team made its first playoff appearance, and made a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the Ducks. Minnesota has two minor-league affiliates, the Houston Aeros and the Bakersfield Condors. The NHL has announced that the Wild will host the 2011 NHL Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center.