Minnesota Wild: Three reasons Minnesota won’t get an outdoor game
By Luke Ryan
There isn’t a clear marketable rivalry to showcase the Minnesota Wild
Of the rivalries showcased over the years, we’ve seen the the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals face off, we’ve seen all manner of Original Six rivalries re-visited and the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks take on the Los Angeles Kings.
That’s literally just scratching the surface too; the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins’ rivalry dates back generations, likewise that between the Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. The Philadelphia Flyers taking on the Penguins is perfect for marketing, likewise the Colorado Avalanche’s game with the Detroit Red Wings had plenty of history and animosity to build on.
All of these rivalries make it easier to market the game; build on what is already there and then tack on the outdoor element to make it even bigger.
In fact, possibly the one surprise when you look at the list of outdoor games is that the historical rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs hasn’t yet been showcased, nor that of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
Both are very much marketable in a Canadian marketplace, but possibly lack that little extra needed to generate successful television ratings in the United States.
In terms of rivalries that the Minnesota Wild have, given they’re just 20 years old; you’d have to look at the Dallas Stars purely because of the history of that franchise. If the roots of the Texas team weren’t in Minnesota, this would be an non-starter. That history alone though does make me think that the Minnesota Wild might be hosted outdoors down South in 2020.
Beyond that rivalry, any of their Central Division adversaries is probably fair game; the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues would make for perfectly reasonable opponents. In fact, given the propensity of the NHL to give the Blackhawks outdoor games, maybe that should be the sales pitch!
The one I’d most like to see is a more recently forming rivalry; that between the Wild and the Winnipeg Jets. Recent play-off history between the two sides and the fact you could sell the came on a USA versus Canada angle could make it marketable.
However, as you can see; when you’re trying to stretch a nation versus nation angle to make a rivalry more marketable, it’s probably not the one that the NHL will be picking for national exposure.