Development Camp Wrap
Sunday marked the end of Wild Development Camp with a scrimmage and 7,500 State of Hockey fans at Xcel Energy Center. It was great to be in the building packed full of excited, energetic hockey fans that are lusting for the start of the season. Team White ended up winning both scrimmages and shootouts, but more importantly, the camp was a great preview into the future of the Wild. Out of camp, Wild.com ran feature stories on two camp attendees. Marco Scandella was the camp veteran this summer and looks to make a big splash come fall; read his story, here. Brett Bulmer was impressive – looking like he will round into a legitimate NHL power forward in the near future – and you can read his story, here.
Wild Inks Dumba
Speaking of players at Wild Development Camp, Minnesota signed first-round pick Matt Dumba to a three-year, entry-level deal. At only 17 years of age, the defenseman becomes the youngest player under contract with the Wild, but can still return to his junior team, the Red Deer Rebels, if he doesn’t make the big club out of training camp. Read more about the signing, here. Wild.com also ran a feature story about Dumba on Saturday, here.
Becoming Wild
The State of Hockey’s favorite behind the scenes look at the Wild is back, in Webisode form. So far, we’ve seen four “Becoming Wild” Chapter Two, presented by Toyota, Webisodes. Thus far, the series has focused on prospects at Wild Development Camp, as prospective NHLers have taken lessons in power skating, nutrition and stick handling. “Where can I see all these Webby’s?” You might be thinking. Well, Wild.com has built a “Becoming Wild” page that will house the complete series, here. The 18 Webisodes will go live on the page at 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally, there will be six 30-minute episodes on FOX Sports North, every Thursday from Sept. 6 through Oct. 11. Times will be announced at a later date.
Konopka Plays Pong
With the hustle and bustle of the last two weeks, this story almost fell through the cracks. Zenon Konopka participated in the inaugural “Smashfest,” an interactive Ping-Pong tournament hosted by Dominic Moore of the San Jose Sharks and the National Hockey League Players Association. The July 12 tourney in Toronto, Ontario benefited concussion research.
Parise Paints The Corner
As Wild Development Camp was wrapping up, Zach Parise was throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Target Field as the Twins hosted the Oakland Athletics. Tossing to Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, Parise painted the corner. Check out the video, here. Pretty good form.
Parise/Suter Auction
Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are already making an impact in the creating a better State of Hockey. The two prized free agents autographed their respective jerseys for the most recent Minnesota Wild Foundation online auction. The current auction is set to end on Sunday night so make sure to place your bids in before it’s too late. To view the jerseys and other Wild memorabilia, click here. Proceeds will benefit the Minnesota Wild Foundation
Aeros Jersey Sale
The Houston Aeros, the Wild’s American Hockey League affiliate, is having a game-worn jerseys auction. The club is auctioning off its alternate jersey until July 31. Get a piece of the action, here.
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