The Minnesota Wild in the Offseason

Below is a look at the offseason so far for the Minnesota Wild:

April 13: Jacques Lemaire steps down as head coach
April 16: Wild owner Craig Leipold announces that the organization will not renew the contract of President and General Manager Doug Risebrough
April 20: Defenseman John Scott re-signed to one-year contract
April 24-May 8: Josh Harding, Morten Madsen, Antti Miettinen, Peter Olvecky and Marek Zidlicky participate in the 2009 World Hockey Championships in Switzerland
April 24: Right wing Carson McMillan signed to entry-level contract
April 27: Goaltender Niklas Backstrom named a finalist for the Vezina Trophy
May 22: Chuck Fletcher hired as new general manager
June 15: Fletcher announces that Assistant General Manager Tom Lynn will not be retained
June 16: Todd Richards hired as new head coach
June 26: Wild acquire 16th, 77th and 182nd overall picks in the NHL Entry Draft from the New York Islanders in exchange for the 12th overall pick
June 26: Eden Prairie defenseman Nick Leddy selected with 16th overall pick of the NHL Draft
June 27: Center Kyle Brodziak and the 161st overall pick acquired from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for picks No. 99 and 133
June 27: Wild drafts goalie Matthew Hackett, left wing Kristopher Foucault, right wing Alexander Fallstrom, goalie Darcy Kuemper, forward Jere Sallinen, left wing Erik Haula and center Anthony Hamburg on the second day of the NHL Entry Draft
June 29: Wild makes qualifying offers to restricted free agents Kyle Brodziak, Robbie Earl, Josh Harding, Danny Irmen, Benoit Pouliot and Clayton Stoner
June 30: Jim Mill named new assistant to the general manager
July 1: Free agent defenseman Greg Zanon signed to three-year contract
July 1: Free agent right wing Martin Havlat signed to six-year contract
July 1: All-star free agent forward Marian Gaborik signs contract with the New York Rangers
July 2: Mike Ramsey and Dave Barr named assistant coaches
July 3: Free agent defenseman Shane Hnidy signed to one-year contract
July 7: Long-time left wing Stephane Veilleux signs as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning
July 7-12: Wild holds development camp for team prospects
July 8: Free agent defensemen Jamie Fraser and Jaime Sifers signed to one-year contracts
July 8: Long-time defenseman Kurtis Foster signs as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Lightning
July 9: Defenseman Tyler Cuma signed to an entry-level contract.
July 15: Restricted free agents Robbie Earl, Danny Irmen, Benoit Pouliot and Clayton Stoner accept qualifying offers
July 17: Right wings Duncan Milroy and Jon DiSalvatore, and goaltender Wade Dubielewicz signed to one-year contracts
July 23: Restricted free agent center Kyle Brodziak signed to three-year contract
July 23: Free agents Nathan Smith and Ryan Lannon signed to one-year contracts
July 28: Brent Flahr named new assistant general manager
July 29: Restricted free agent goaltender Josh Harding signed to one-year contract

WCHA to Add Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha

In a move predicted in our previous post, the WCHA will admit Bemidji State and Nebraska-Omaha, the Duluth News Tribune reports. The newspaper is reporting that the Beavers and Mavericks will be the 11th and 12th WCHA teams, beginning with the 2010-11 season, one year earlier than expected.

This development comes just two weeks after UNO hired former University of North Dakota head coach Dean Blais as the Mavericks' new bench boss. Sources told Let's Play Hockey that part of Blais' negotiations with UNO centered around the Mavericks accepting the WCHA's offer to switch conferences from the CCHA.

The WCHA has scheduled a media teleconference for 5 p.m., (CT) today.

Blais to be Named New UNO Head Coach, Switch to WCHA Expected

Former University of North Dakota head coach and current Fargo Force (USHL) head coach and GM Dean Blais will be named the new head coach at the University of Nebraska-Omaha at a 2 p.m., press conference today (link).

Sources tell Let's Play Hockey that as a part of Blais' negotiations with UNO for the position, the Mavericks will accept the WCHA's offer to switch conferences from the CCHA. The earliest UNO could join the WCHA would be in 2011-12, giving the league 12 teams with the expected addition of Bemidji State.

A native of International Falls, Blais played college hockey at the University of Minnesota, followed by a three-year pro career with the Dallas Black Hawks (CHL). He returned to the U in 1976-77 as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach at Minot High School from 1977-80. Blais then spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at North Dakota. From 1990-94, Blais returned to high school hockey as head coach of Roseau (1990-91) and International Falls (1992-94).

Blais went back to Grand Forks as head coach in 1994, staying in that position until 2004. During his time with the Fighting Sioux, Blais helped UND to a pair of NCAA titles (1997, 2000) and five WCHA championships, while compiling an overall record of 262-115-33.

In 2004, Blais left the college ranks to become an associate coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets for two seasons. He then spent one season in player development with the NHL franchise. Since 2007, Blais has been the head coach and general manager for the USHL's newest team, the Fargo Force. Blais helped the Force to a runnner-up finish in the USHL's Clark Cup finals in the team's first year of competition.

He left North Dakota for the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets, for whom he worked in player development and as associate head coach. He then returned to North Dakota and spent last year as the head coach and general manager of the Fargo Force, the United States Hockey League expansion team that beat the Omaha Lancers in the playoffs and reached the Clark Cup finals.

Blais is set to replace longtime UNO head coach Mike Kemp who was promoted to associate athletic director under new athletic director Trev Alberts.

Todd Richards to be Named New Wild Head Coach

Sources are telling Let's Play Hockey that former Golden Gopher and NHL defenseman, and current San Jose Sharks assistant coach Todd Richards will likely be named the new Minnesota Wild head coach in the near future. A native of Crystal, Minn., and considered an up-and-coming young coach, Richards was the head coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins when current Wild GM Chuck Fletcher was an assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Clearly, Fletcher's familiarity and comfort level with Richards played a major role in the decision on who best to replace Jacques Lemaire behind the Wild bench. Since the hiring of Fletcher as GM, Richards was considered the frontrunner for the Wild head coach position.

Assistant coach Matt Shaw and goaltending coach Bob Mason are expected to be back for the 2009-10 season. As reported, assistant coach Mario Tremblay will not be part of the new coaching staff. It's unclear at this time if assistant coach Mike Ramsey will be behind the Wild bench for his 10th season.

Richards bio from the San Jose Sharks:

Todd Richards just completed his first season as a National Hockey League assistant coach and his first season working with Sharks Head Coach Todd McLellan. In his new role, Richards will be in charge of the power play and work with McLellan on forward lines and matchups.

Richards spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League where he led the team to a berth in the Calder Cup Finals last season after winning the AHL’s East Division regular season title.

Richards ended his stint with the Baby Pens ranked first in franchise history with 98 wins (51 in 2006-07 and 47 in 2007-08) and in winning percentage (.653, 209 of 320 points). He also was named head coach of the PlanetUSA Team at the 2007 Rbk Hockey/AHL All-Star Classic in Toronto, leading his team to a 7-6 victory over the Canadian squad.

Before Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Richards served as an assistant coach (2002-06) with the Milwaukee Admirals. During his time in Milwaukee, the Admirals won two West Division titles (2003-04 and 2005-06) and made two trips to the Calder Cup Finals, winning the AHL title in 2003-04.

A former defenseman, Richards captured several other championships throughout his career, including a pair of Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Championships with the University of Minnesota (1988 and 1989), the 1991 Calder Cup with Springfield, the 2001 Turner Cup (International Hockey League) in Orlando, and he even brought home a Swiss-B League title with Servette Geneve in 2002.

Richards was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round (33rd overall) of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and made his NHL debut with the Hartford Whalers in 1990-91, playing eight games over the next two seasons and posting four assists. He also appeared in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Hartford, adding three assists.

During his four seasons at the University of Minnesota, he was named a member of the WCHA Second All-Star Team for three consecutive seasons (1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89) and was team captain during his senior season.

Following his stints in the Montreal and Hartford organizations, the native of Crystal, Minn. joined the IHL’s Las Vegas Thunder and was named the league’s top defender in 1994-95. He spent the next six seasons with the Orlando Solar Bears, captaining the squad for four seasons and winning the IHL Championship in 2000-01, the league’s final year of existence.

Richards concluded his playing career with Servette Geneve of Switzerland in 2001-02, where he was he was also named the league’s top defenseman.

Richards and his wife Maryann have two sons: Zachary and Justin.

A Wild Coach Candidate: Don Jackson

From all reports, new Minnesota Wild GM has begun narrowing his search for Jacques Lemaire's replacement as Wild head coach. Reportedly, former Gopher and current San Jose assistant Todd Richards is the frontrunner for the job. Other candidates mentioned have included Pierre Page, Craig MacTavish, Peter Laviolette, Newell Brown, Paul MacLean, Kevin Constantine, Mario Tremblay, John Torchetti, Kevin Dineen and Scott Arniel.

Not mentioned yet, but who seems to be a viable and qualified candidate is former Minnesota North Star and two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Edmonton Oilers Don Jackson. After a 10-year NHL and CHL playing career as a defenseman (315 career NHL games, 16 goals, 52 assists, 640 penalty minutes), Jackson has been behind the bench for several NHL, ECHL, IHL and European teams for 19 years and counting. A graduate of Bloomington Kennedy High School and Notre Dame, Jackson is currently the head coach of the Eisbären Berlin in the German Ice Hockey League.

Jackson began his coaching career as the head coach of the Knoxville Cherokees (ECHL), followed by a two-year stint as an assistant with the Quebec Nordiques. He went back to the minor leagues as a head coach for three years in the IHL and CHL before returning to the NHL in 1997-98. For the next seven seasons, Jackson was an assistant coach with Pittsburgh (1997-2000), Chicago (2000-01) and Ottawa (2001-04).

The NHL lockout in 2004-05 forced Jackson to a coaching role in Europe. Page, then the head coach in Berlin, hired Jackson to coach defensemen late in the 2004-05 season. Jackson then became the head coach of the DEG Metro Stars in Dusseldorf, Germany, before heading back to Berlin as the head coach for the 2007-08 season. With Jackson behind the bench, Berlin has won the past two German Ice Hockey League Championships.

An offensive-minded coach, Jackson seems to be a strong candidate for the Wild opening. He's a Minnesota native, a former NHL player and a successful veteran coach with loads of experience. Fletcher would be wise to give Jackson a look as the search continues for Lemaire's replacement.

Wild Get Their New GM...Gaborik Signing Next?

Now that the Minnesota Wild has reportedly hired current Penguins Assistant GM Chuck Fletcher as the new General Manager in St. Paul, attention turns to securing Jacques Lemaire's replacement behind the bench and re-signing free agent superstar Marian Gaborik.

Though many believe Gaborik is as good as gone, don't be surprised if the Wild announce the signing of the star forward. The organization really wants Gaborik to return next season and for years to come. Now that the GM is in place, the only hold-up is the approval of the new coach.

Gotta Support The Team

A Vote for Hockey

In this week's edition of TIME Magazine, contributing writer Joel Stein has been given one last chance by his editor to write about hockey in his column and as a result he will have to prove its excellence as a sport. Joel must prove to America that hockey is relevant, and if he is unsuccessful (per a vote on TIME.com) then Joel will be banned from writing about the sport ever again!

Stein gets Wayne Gretzky, Clerks director Kevin Smith, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and three-time Stanley Cup champion Brendan Shanahan on the record to support his case. Given the current NHL playoffs, now more than ever is the time to argue about hockey’s relevance and importance as a sport. Stein’s column and the poll to ban him from writing about hockey is on TIME.com and on stands in the latest issue of TIME.

Go here to read Stein's column and cast your vote in favor of hockey.

Chuck Fletcher: The Odds-On Favorite for Minnesota Wild GM

By Wally Shaver

There have been plenty of names bantered around as to whom should be the next General Manager of the Minnesota Wild. We at Let’s Play Hockey feel the odds-on favorite for the job Chuck Fletcher, currently the assistant general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

As we all know, pro sports are notorious for recycling old coaches and general managers. And there is a very good reason for that. Experience in managing at this level is invaluable, whether it’s a GM administering a hockey department or a coach guiding a team of highly paid players.

A current trend in the NHL is shifting from that tried and true thinking, while not eliminating the experience factor. You just have to look for it elsewhere. That’s why we are seeing a resurgence in several franchises: St. Louis, Chicago and Columbus, along with up-and-comers New York Islanders, Tampa Bay and Atlanta, plus teams who have dipped into other leagues for experienced coaches like Pittsburgh, Washington and Anaheim. These teams have all gone with fresh faces in assorted capacities.

Change is not a bad thing. In Minnesota’s case, the time had come for Jacques Lemaire and Doug Risebrough to go. They built one of the most enviable franchises in the entire NHL and we’re all extremely proud of that. Getting to the next level, however, has proved to be a daunting task for a wide variety of reasons, prompting the most important factor of all, the owner Craig Leipold to make changes - it’s his money, he’s the boss and he felt change was needed.

Chuck Fletcher brings an impressive background for a guy who is only 41. First of all, he went to Harvard – he ain’t no dummy. Secondly, his dad Cliff is one of the most renowned hockey general managers of all time and a 2004 inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Chuck learned more from dinner table chatter, than some have learned in an entire career.

Third, I have a great deal of admiration for his background. He joined the Penguins in the summer of 2006. They made the Stanley Cup finals last year and are now in the Eastern Conference finals following a dominating performance in their game seven, 6-2 win over Washington Wednesday night.

Fletcher assists GM Ray Shero on all hockey-related matters, including scouting, player development and contract negotiations. He also heads up the hockey operations of Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton – a team that made it to the Calder Cup finals last year, losing to the Chicago Wolves (whose coach John Anderson was promoted to Atlanta).

For four years before that, Fletcher was with the Anaheim Ducks as assistant general manager, director of hockey operations and vice president of player development. The Ducks were Stanley Cup champs in 2008, greatly aided by the development efforts accomplished by Fletcher.

For nine years from 1993-2002, little Fletcher was with the Florida Panthers. Seven of those years were as an assistant general manager and one year as interim general manager. They made the Stanley Cup finals in 1996, getting past Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference finals and losing to Colorado for the Cup.

Do you notice a trend in his resume? His teams get to the finals. I like that - I like that a lot.

“I know several of the Wild candidates quite well, and there are some very good ones," commented player agent Neil Sheehy. "Chuck is one of them who has been in the business for quite some time. He’s a lot like his dad, a non-confrontational guy. Great with people. His time is coming somewhere to be a general manager.”

One long-time, recently retired NHLer added, “The GM's I’ve talked to really like him and hope he gets the Wild job.”

What history tells us in this pro sports business is this: once changes are made as the Wild have done, the incoming management team usually takes an opposite approach to that of the previous regime. For many Wild faithful, that will be a welcome change. Eight seasons with every single home game sold out, many loyalists have tired of defensive oriented hockey. Let’s open it up – just a little bit. Give us a few more scoring chances, you know, something to get excited about instead of wondering where Wally the Beerman is.

The organizations Chuck Fletcher has been associated with have had good skating, skilled teams that can move the puck, take some chances, play physical and compete. His teams like to play offense, and the last time I checked, the teams who score the most goals get to the finals and win championships. Those teams have players who are held accountable to produce offense, as well as being accountable for defense.

With Chuck Fletcher hired as Wild General Manager, good days are indeed ahead.