By Brendan Johnson -
As we approach mid-April, everyone knows that we are nearing the time of the year when most people are excited to watch playoff hockey. However, it’s pretty clear that we will not be watching any of it in the Xcel Energy Center.
It’s an odd occurrence for the Minnesota Wild. They have been up and down throughout the years. However, aside from some of the Jacques Lemaire and Todd Richards years and the 2018-19 season, the Wild have stayed competitive since the third year when they shocked Patrick Roy, Joe Sakic, and the rest of the world after Andrew Brunette slipped in the game-winner against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7.
That was the moment that the Wild became relevant. It was also the last game for Roy, a Hall of Famer and arguably the best goaltender of all time. The Wild were no longer an expansion team that the other clubs could beat up on to build confidence.
The Wild have made the postseason 13 times in 22 seasons since joining the league in 2020, not including the lockout years. The Wild are only trailing 5 teams for the longest active playoff streak at 4 seasons. The 2018-19 season is the only time they haven't made the playoffs in the last 11 years. It isn’t just the players that make that happen. Recently, it feels like people have become more polarized on Bill Guerin’s decisions to trade players or sign veterans.
This week, I decided to dig into Billy Guerin’s decision-making. I tried to shed some light on the process of transforming an already successful franchise into a true champion.
On August 21, 2019, Craig Leipold replaced Paul Fenton after 14 months when it became clear he wasn’t fit for the job. He chose Guerin, who won the Stanley Cup four times, twice as a player in the front office, and also was a Silver Medalist in the 2002 Olympics. On February 8th, Team USA named him the general manager of its teams competing in the 2026 Olympics and the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in 2025.
The Wild are 169-90-30 since hiring Bill Guerin, and they have reached the playoffs in each season before this year. During an interview with Twin Cities Business [itlaics] magazine on April 01, 2022, he said something that has always stuck with me: “We don’t pay the guys to play, the coaches to coach, or me to be the GM. We are getting paid to win. That’s It.”
First and most importantly, it is our job as fans to question, debate, and even prophesize the front office's transactions, signings, and other decisions. As Billy stated, the Wild pay them to win. That’s it. Questioning and keeping pressure on these guys is essential to the development of everyone in the organization, including Guerin.
Keep in mind that at this stage in their careers, a player's performance becomes as much of a psychological battle as a manifestation of their hockey skills. The NHL is to hockey as Broadway is to live performance. Acting is what you set your sights on as a kid.
According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, about 4 in 10,000 of the currently 1.6 million active-registered participants will join the NHL as a player. It is the melting pot of 6 continents that produces these athletes who return with Gold medals and the privilege of having their name engraved on the roughly 80 lbs. trophy for eternity. By doing so, they join an even more elite group of only 14.4% of the NHL players to become champs.
Guerin has been a major factor on multiple NHL teams that hoisted the Stanley Cup.
His position as general manager of the 2026 Olympic team should highlight that Guerin is one of the best, if not the best, active general managers in the world. Question and debate his maneuvers; it is your job as a fan to keep the pressure on these guys. But Guerin has the credentials to be a great general manager, not only with his winning history but also with his demand for accountability, which has bred positive results in the past.
Debating Guerin’s management promotes interactions that demand explanation while producing positive changes in an organization that becomes another branch of your extended family. Like players and fans, you don't have to like the other people who end up in your orbit. However, as I've grown older, I realized my best results were a product of being paired with someone you respect. Like or even having fun is optional. Winning is not.
Think you could write a story like this? Hockey Wilderness wants you to develop your voice, find an audience, and we'll pay you to do it. Just fill out this form.
-
2
Recommended Comments
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.