The Ultimate Ranking Of Wild Nicknames

Recently, Hockey Reference has started listing nicknames on their player pages. These range from the mundane expected nicknames to the most outrageous names that no one seems to have heard before. 

Let’s see how they did with the Minnesota Wild and who has the best assortment of nicknames.

Bland

Matt Boldy

What’s there: Nothing

What’s missing: Bolds

There is nothing listed for Matt Boldy. In a way, that makes sense. When he was asked about his nickname last year, he said “Matthew,” which is the opposite of a nickname. But again, they’re missing the very obvious nickname of Bolds.

Connor Dewar

What’s there: Dewey 2

What’s missing: –

Poor Dewar is never going to stop being Dewey 2. That’s probably okay because if he got to be Dewey 1, Brandon Duhaime would be devastated.

Ryan Hartman

What’s there: Hartzy

What’s missing: –

Another very obvious nickname. I always think of him as what Jake Middleton called him on a TNT interview last year. However, I’m not supposed to use the swears. It’s fair game in a tweet, though.

Dakota Mermis

What’s there: Nothing

What’s missing: ?

I’m not sure if Mermis has a nickname, but it feels like something could be done with his last name. Mermis. Mermaid. Merman. Something along those lines. We’ll workshop it.

Jake Middleton

What’s there: Nothing

What’s missing: Middsy

Somehow, it feels like Middleton doesn’t need a nickname. His mustache + missing teeth combo speaks for him. But Middsy is a known nickname for him.

Marco Rossi

What’s there: Nothing

What’s missing: Marco Goal-O

Has Rossi ever had a nickname? His personality is so quiet and even-keeled that it would almost feel weird to give him a nickname. However, someone did point out that Marco Goal-O could be acceptable.

Predictable

Zach Bogosian

What’s there: Bogo

What’s missing: –

This one is obvious but also a fun nickname. No notes. 

Brandon Duhaime

What’s there: Dewey 1

What’s missing: Big Dew

Of course, they listed the Dewey 1 nickname. But in this year’s player introduction video that plays on the big screen during warmups and the little video on social media after they score, he has been deemed “Big Dew” this year. That sounds like a nickname he came up with on his own and begged them to use. And who can say no to Duhaime when he’s excited about something?

Joel Eriksson Ek

What’s there: JEEK, Ekker, Mr. September

What’s missing: –

This one is simple and self-explanatory. I think most people call him JEEK or Ekker because they still aren’t quite sure how to pronounce Joel.

Marc-Andre Fleury

What’s there: Flower, The Dude, MAF

What’s missing: –

“The Dude” always makes me laugh. But he will forever and always be Flower, which also fits his happy personality.

Pat Maroon

What’s there: Patty, Big Rig

What’s missing: –

It’s odd to hear him called Pat because Patty feels somehow more fitting for the big guy. It is fitting, however, that the Wild lost a Big Rig and gained a Big Rig. He’s even played on the same line as the last Big Rig!

Outside of the Box

Jared Spurgeon

What’s there: Spurgeon General

What’s missing: Spurge

Real question: Was Spurgeon General ever really a nickname? As in something someone actually called him? Or was it more of an alias used in the media? Because those are two different things. It’s also weird that Spurge, the shortened version people actually call him, is missing.

Jon Merrill

What’s there: Nothing

What’s missing: Jonny Vibes

If there was ever a player that consistently brings the vibes without actually doing anything, it’s Merrill. Jonny Vibes just stands for the incredible vibes he exudes.

Marcus Foligno

What’s there: Moose

What’s missing: –

He’s Moose. There might be several Mooses in the league, but Foligno will forever and always be Moose in Minnesota. He’s even mentioned how much he loves to hear the crowd yell “MOOOOOOOOOOOSE” every time he’s introduced.

Marcus Johansson

What’s there: MoJo, JoJo, Mojo-Jojo, Mackan

What’s missing: --

Mackan is an unknown, but the rest of the nicknames could keep going. His middle name is Lars (because of course it is.) Couldn’t that come into play? MoLo. LoJo. MoLo JoJo, MoLoJo. The possibilities are endless!

Filip Gustavsson

What’s there: Gus the Bus, Goose

What’s missing: (Does Gus Bus count as different from above? If not, nothing.)

This one is so obvious that I almost didn’t look at his page. However, at some point in time, he was apparently known as Goose. Minnesota already has a Goose, so he’ll continue to be the Bus.

Kirill Kaprizov

What’s there: Kirill the Thrill, Dollar Bill, Kap, Kappy

What’s missing: KK97

This might be another case: "Is KK97 a nickname or just something media (or me in text messages to my brother) uses?” Kappy is probably the best because it feels like he should be selling newspapers on the street corner in 1905.

Off the Wall

Vinni Lettieri

What’s there: Chenzo, Chenny, Squirrel

What’s missing: Lou

These three were completely unknown. And a quick search yielded no idea where the first two came from. But somehow, they’re still great. The obvious one missing was Lou since that was what all the Wild players yelled at him after he scored his first goal with the Wild.

Jonas Brodin

What’s there: Slippery Jimmy, Jimmy, Slim Jimmy, Jimbo Slice, The Wizard

What’s missing: Brods

Once again, there is an incredibly obvious nickname missing. And while all of the nicknames listed are pretty cool, I think most of them were largely Matt Dumba-related. Who else would call him Jimbo Slice?

Mats Zuccarello

What’s there: Zucc, Zuccy, The Lizard King, The Hobbit, The Norwegian Hobbit Wizard, The Lizard

What’s missing: –

Zuccarello is intense in all areas of life, and his nicknames showcase that. “The Norwegian Hobbit Wizard” doesn’t seem like a nickname. It seems more like a title.