It's Time for the Wild to Upgrade Their Home

The Stanley Cup Finals might be still going on, but here in Minnesota we’ve been in offseason mode for over a month, again. It’s already the dog days of summer, which brings upon the season of hypothetical trades, which prospects are good fits at this month's draft, and which free agent bargains the Wild could pursue in July.

How about an arena upgrade? Even better, how about a discussion about why any sort of upgrade could hypothetically not involve any public money? Oh! Now there’s some meat on that bone!

Before I upset our fragile Minnesota pride, let me preface this by saying the Xcel Energy Center is still a solid NHL arena. Especially considering it’s been home to the Minnesota Wild for over 20 years. But the three biggest years of the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts provide a unique opportunity for Wild ownership. While all the talk has been centered on the sort of proverbial hole they create for the on-ice product, there hasn’t been nearly the amount of discourse about the off-ice ramifications.

When Bill Guerin bought out Parise and Suter's contracts in the summer of 2021, they each had four years remaining on their deals with just a total of $10 million in actual money owed over that span. Their contracts were heavily front-loaded in cash. It was a legal structure at the time, but the league deemed that practice illegal a few months later with the newly negotiated CBA.

The NHL retroactively placed potential cap recapture penalties on the Wild, which was the driving force for Guerin to buy both players out in 2021. It’s been a hot talking point in Minnesota for quite some time and will continue through these cap crunches.

What hasn’t been discussed nearly enough is the sheer amount of money Wild owner Craig Leipold is saving with these buyouts. While the dead cap hits total roughly $42 million over the three years they hit Minnesota's roster the hardest, the actual money paid to Parise and Suter is just $1.6 million per year. For these three years, Leipold is spending $37 million less than nearly every other contender on his on-ice product.

Credit to Minnesota's leadership for maintaining a playoff-caliber roster with these constraints. But there is more to glean here. The Wild are spending far, far less than every other perennial playoff qualifier. Yet, ticket prices are higher than ever. And the quality of the on-ice product keeps fans coming in droves.

The Wild owe it to their loyal fans and the St. Paul community they call home to take those savings and provide much-needed upgrades to the Xcel Energy Center and surrounding area.

While the arena itself remains the poster child for premier sight lines and a fantastic viewing experience, it pales in comparison to many of the fan experiences in other contending markets.

For starters, the dining options inside 199 West Kellogg Boulevard leave a lot to be desired, particularly for those sitting in the upper bowl. The Wild have added some intriguing options over the years, such as the Wild Market, featuring Amazon’s Walk-Out technology. The additions of local favorites such as Revival and Snuffy’s Malt Shop provide a unique experience as well.

But “The X” lacks the kind of newer, younger experiences that other thriving franchises have brought their fan bases. The type of in-arena experience which entice a younger generation into becoming life-long fans. Places like Vegas, Nashville, and Tampa feature world-class restaurants with more than just good burgers and your typical arena hot dogs and brats. Breweries and even clubs exist for between-period entertainment. Sure, it can lead to some fans being slow to return to their seats to start periods, but place these types of places in the upper bowl and the TV cameras won’t even notice.

How about around the arena? It’s hard to compare the game day experience fans can experience here in St. Paul to those in warmer climates, but they can try. The West 7^th Street area has built its reputation as a solid pre and postgame gathering spot. Could they attract more fans to spend a cold winter day in St. Paul with a skyway system connecting West 7^th and the arena itself?

Breweries are extremely popular in Minnesota, yet not even one exists in the arena district itself. Skating on an outdoor pond is a right to hockey passage here. Why not construct an outdoor ice rink for young families to enjoy before games?

The Wild have called St. Paul home for over two decades. They’ve helped provide a hockey-crazed community with an NHL fan experience for at least 41 home games a year. Even more, they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon with the addition of their TRIA practice rink on the other side of downtown St. Paul.

Maybe it’s time to extend that fan experience beyond just what they put on the ice. The team is profiting more than ever before with their buyout savings. Ticket prices are higher than ever before and yet their loyal fans continue to show up in force. It’s time to invest in the community a little more to make that experience more on par with some other NHL franchises.