Letter from the Editors: A new era at Hockey Wilderness

Just like your Minnesota Wild, Hockey Wilderness is going through some changes. For 14 months, Ryan Quigley and Logan Stark ran this site exceptionally well, making a home for everything Wild.

During their tenure, this team went through a — pardon the pun, please — wild changeover. The firing of Paul Fenton and Bruce Boudreau, hiring Bill Guerin, the significant trade of Jason Zucker, signing key players to massive extensions, and the recent shed of contracts — the two departing members of management went through a lot in a short amount of time covering this team.

They left Hockey Wilderness to achieve bigger and better things and we are so excited for their future.

So with that, we should introduce ourselves as the new management team. One will be a familiar face, while the other will be completely foreign.

Hey Wild fans and the Hockey Wilderness community, my name is Thomas Williams and I truly am so excited to be the new Managing Editor!

Born and raised in Toronto, I’ll try to not bring my Canadian stink all over the site, but as stereotypical it is, I live and breathe this sport. My background has led me through various paths, earning me a Bachelor’s in Music, but it’s hockey where my passion has lived for the majority of my life.

Most recently, I worked for Yahoo Sports, writing for them and managing the @YahooSportsNHL Twitter account. If you’re a fan of that sort of online content, I’m here for you. My introduction to writing about hockey was fairly stats and analytics focused, but don’t worry, I’m not a one trick pony and will always try to keep any writing as entertaining as possible.

It’s not only a weird time in hockey, but obviously all over the globe. Through the pandemic and this upcoming offseason, we’ll still be here no matter what to bring you everything Minnesota Wild.

I cannot wait to get started during this busy time. Feel free to follow me on Twitter at @nosalaryretaind, if you want.

I’ve heard nothing but good things about this community and we’ll work to provide you all the Wild content you can handle.

— Thomas

Hey, Wilderness! I’m Kyle. I’ve had the absolute honor to write for the Wild fans at Hockey Wilderness for two seasons now, and I’m so excited to help Thomas build on what some of the great managers, editors and writers in the past have created here, great hockey minds like Bryan, Tony, Emilie, Sie, Joe, of course Ryan and Logan, and too many others to mention.

I’m willing to bet my personal hockey story is similar to many of the readers out there, especially those born and raised in the State of Hockey. I’ve been a fan of the game since I strapped on my first pair of skates at age four, pushing around a metal folding chair to get my blades underneath me. I played hockey as child from mite and peewee all the way through high school. I lived on the ponds in rural Minnesota until the park operator shut off the lights. I’ve also been refereeing since I was sixteen, so I have an understanding and appreciation for those who wear the stripes – though I’m not afraid to call them out when they keep their whistles in their pockets on an obvious trip. I loved the high school tournament, the Gophers, the North Stars, and since 2000, I’ve been passionate about the Wild. And in between our Minnesota teams, I helped my dad cheer on his hometown Detroit Red Wings – so I like to say I’m second-generation “hate the Avalanche.”

As for writing, I’m an English grad from the University of Minnesota, and spent five years on the sports desk at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, compiling stats and writing game recaps for all kinds of professional, college and high school sports, including hockey. I love numbers, I’m getting a handle on analytics, but what makes me the most excited is the history of the game. My favorite stories are the ones that look back at what was, and how it might inform the present or future of the franchise.

What can you expect from Thomas, myself, and the rest of the Hockey Wilderness team moving forward? Thoughtful, entertaining articles. Content that gets you thinking and discussing. Ryan and Logan put together a great group of writers that are excited to hop the boards and get into the fray, especially during a shortened and crazy offseason where the draft, free agency, training camp and season opener are going to feel like they are just days apart. Not to mention, the Wild are slated to announce a new captain, reveal a new jersey, host a Winter Classic, and considering all the moves they’ve made recently, announce what will seem like a whole new lineup. And you can count on Hockey Wilderness to have something to say about all of it.

So, in the words frequently uttered by our predecessor Ryan: LET’S GO!

— Kyle

Both of us would love to know any feedback and what you would like to see on Hockey Wilderness. Feel free to direct message Thomas on Twitter or comment down below with your thoughts and ideas.

Cheers to the next era of Hockey Wilderness and this crazy upcoming offseason!