Minnesota Wild Announce 25th Anniversary Festivities

This is the kind of tomfoolery that bill excels at.  Managing a bunch of 20 something's in the marketing dept. to create a buzz and getting Modano and Fleury on the phone's to raise $.

All the while bill's big loveable dog is in the photo op.  bill's not as dumb as he seems.  It's been fun bill but now that the lawsuits and the early exits have all been done, it's time to make some forward progress with the on-ice hockey product.  for your sake bill (and all of ours) we have to hope that at least 2 of the 5 prospects (Wall, Zeev, Jirizy, Yurov, Ogz) take a spot on the NHL club and make meaningful contributions this season.  I've stated that this group is two grown ass top six NHL'rs away from a second round appearance, and Tank ain't even one.  So now it's on the kids to come thru with an upside surprise.  LFG!!!

(insert strife's confused emoji here)

It looks like the Wild are going to surpass the North Stars existence very soon. I find that both commendable and odd at the same time. 

I've loved the reverse retros and have long encouraged their employment into the normal jersey, but I think I've missed the St. Paul Fighting Saints history in that. I'm wondering if that might not be a decent 3rd jersey in the not too distant future. 

Yikes, could you get off the new jersey talk! Well, I do have an interest in the way corporations market themselves, and how they announce new and improved. To me, 5-6 rookies in the lineup with a turnover of higher than 1/3rd of the roster would signal new and improved.

For instance, I have never been a Cracker Barrel fan, I simply don't particularly like Southern comfort food. I do like their country store as you can find some great items from yesteryear. However, watching their rebranding, logo change and remodeling, it has been a complete disaster among their regular clientele who liked the old look. 

On the flip side, ever since Hyundai took over Kia, they have rebranded that logo very nicely and really upgraded the Kia look and style, though, sometimes it's hard to see the difference between the 2 brands. I guess it's like Chevy and Pontiac used to be? With their redesigns the past 2 years, I think the style has been a hit to the public (though maybe not their security system). That one was done right. 

From a hockey perspective, Guerin is also in charge of the business side of things. He's got plenty of help here, but the business side of things has gone very smoothly. This is why I don't think his seat is hot at all. I read a lot of comments saying if they don't go to the 2nd round this year, he's gone, or if they fail to make the playoffs he's gone. I just don't see it. Putting in the new players, like 5-6 rookies, even though they've been seasoned does not always go smoothly. 

The hope is (for me) we do like last season and come out of the gates fast and just keep banking points, but I suggest at the end, we will be in similar shape as last season. But, even so, we are still trending up. Seems contradictory, but these guys have got to grow and learn from their mistakes. We will need Goose and The Wall to stand tall while they learn. I feel like the style of the team will be a bit different. And for that, there should be a rebranding. 

7 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

Guerin is also in charge of the business side of things. He's got plenty of help here, but the business side of things has gone very smoothly. This is why I don't think his seat is hot at all.

I agree bill is safe for now...but I will say that if the team one-and-done's or misses playoff's this season, the fanbase begins to lose patience.  Then tickets become harder to sell which get's Leo's attention, then bill berates another intern and the Wild are in the press for the wrong reasons....P-TMZ, why so grim?  I think bill is a ticking time bomb and winning post-season games is the only way he stear's this train back on the tracks.  The on ice product is no better, no worse than it was under the Fletcher/Fenton regime's.  As long as the rink is sold out Leo's happy.  I'm predicting the fan base loses it's patience this season.

7 minutes ago, Pewterschmidt said:

the fanbase begins to lose patience.  Then tickets become harder to sell which get's Leo's attention, then bill berates another intern and the Wild are in the press for the wrong reasons....P-TMZ, why so grim?

P-TMZ, I think you've got the order mixed up here. Leo won't care about the threats of the tickets not selling, he'll only care when the tickets really don't sell. 

However, the beration of an intern likely happens first in this scenario, as a team missing the playoffs will show Grumpy Guerin who is one wrong cup of coffee away from yelling at someone. He hates losing and is ultra competitive. Key sign, when his eyes look like they're about to pop out of his head, that is a good time to go find something to do in a very remote place in the office. Just hope a meeting with him doesn't suddenly pop up in your email inbox.

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

This is the kind of tomfoolery that bill excels at.  Managing a bunch of 20 something's in the marketing dept. to create a buzz and getting Modano and Fleury on the phone's to raise $.

All the while bill's big loveable dog is in the photo op.  bill's not as dumb as he seems.  It's been fun bill but now that the lawsuits and the early exits have all been done, it's time to make some forward progress with the on-ice hockey product.  for your sake bill (and all of ours) we have to hope that at least 2 of the 5 prospects (Wall, Zeev, Jirizy, Yurov, Ogz) take a spot on the NHL club and make meaningful contributions this season.  I've stated that this group is two grown ass top six NHL'rs away from a second round appearance, and Tank ain't even one.  So now it's on the kids to come thru with an upside surprise.  LFG!!!

(insert strife's confused emoji here)

Who is Tank again?

3 minutes ago, Sam said:

Who is Tank again?

Tarasanko.  I forgot we already have a tank.  Can't call him T-bag (trenin).  Maybe it's Sanko.

56 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

I've loved the reverse retros and have long encouraged their employment into the normal jersey, but I think I've missed the St. Paul Fighting Saints history in that. I'm wondering if that might not be a decent 3rd jersey in the not too distant future. 

According to Vintage Hockey, the MN Fighting Saints existed for 4 seasons before folding, prior to the NHL absorbing four teams (Oilers, Whalers, Nordiques & Jets).  Since they never made it into the NHL, I'd have a hard time going along with the idea they were part of NHL history in MN.  Counterpoint, is that I'd imagine they'd sell a boat load of merch

But yeah, we're moving in a direction of simpler logo's that are less busy, that's the trend of the day, that's the direction that seems to be successful.  I can't think of a single example where a company has gone to more complex, hell 'Dunkin' Donuts' rebranded to 'Dunkin'

I could bring up the redesign of the Minnesota state flag as an example where modern day design is trending towards simplier/less detailed while retaining meaning, but we know where that discussion leads 😉

5 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

but we know where that discussion leads 😉

Don't take the bait MNFAN

1 minute ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Don't take the bait MNFAN

We recently had the discussion, and the conclusion is that we need whoever designed Rochester, MN's flag in charge of all vexillology in the state

So many geese...

1 hour ago, Pewterschmidt said:

we have to hope that at least 2 of the 5 prospects (Wall, Zeev, Jirizy, Yurov, Ogz) take a spot on the NHL club and make meaningful contributions this season. 

I'm thinking 4/5.  My biggest question marks are Yurov and Jiricek.  I feel good about Ogz.  Wally and Zeev are shoe ins.

A quarter of a century and nothing to show for it. The State of Hockey 🤣

10 minutes ago, Will D. Ness said:

I'm thinking 4/5.  My biggest question marks are Yurov and Jiricek.  I feel good about Ogz.  Wally and Zeev are shoe ins.

Agree.  I think Yurov is a little more highly touted than Khus, but still an unknown at this stage.  Jiricek sounds like he'll be a good player, just not a top pairing defender, more of a bottom pairing defender.  I don't think he'll ever live up to the top 6 pick status, which is fine, nor live up to the haul we gave away to get him, which is a bummer.

16 minutes ago, Scalptrash said:

A quarter of a century and nothing to show for it. The State of Hockey 🤣

If it makes you feel better, we have the same number of cups as the entire country of Canada over the same time period...

59 minutes ago, MrCheatachu said:

If it makes you feel better, we have the same number of cups as the entire country of Canada over the same time period...

At least they have cups. The Wild are Minnesota's new Vikings. I'd like to see one of them win a championship in my lifetime. I was fortunate enough to see the Twins win both of theirs.

8 hours ago, Pewterschmidt said:

Don't take the bait MNFAN

There's no bait to take. Mr. C. is right, we agreed that the Rochester flag was superior. If you're talking about rebranding, it's true, the new MN flag is simpler. 

And, I'm not sure how I feel about the new flag, but when I saw it "surprised" was the reaction. It certainly looks different. 

On my previous comments about it, I tried not to get political and just comment on what it looked like and that it seems we lost something historically from the old one. 

I will be doing a little of my own rebranding, as I will be changing vanity plates on the front of my vehicle to a new Wild mirrored plate. Somehow, I don't believe this will change the masses into thinking it's a new and improved team 😉

8 hours ago, MrCheatachu said:

According to Vintage Hockey, the MN Fighting Saints existed for 4 seasons before folding, prior to the NHL absorbing four teams (Oilers, Whalers, Nordiques & Jets).  Since they never made it into the NHL, I'd have a hard time going along with the idea they were part of NHL history in MN.  Counterpoint, is that I'd imagine they'd sell a boat load of merch

I wasn't thinking NHL hockey here, just professional hockey. Somewhere in my archives, I've probably still got one of those blue pucks they used to use. It's a bit chewed up, though. 

But, seriously, I think this would make a stellar 3rd jersey and pay homage to another team that used to play professionally in the State of Hockey, more specifically, St. Paul. It's just something kind of fun, like having the skate lace untied in the logo!