ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. — What a difference a win makes.
The mood around the Minnesota Wild was so tense late last week that coach Dean Evason and his staff had to have one-on-one meetings with the captains, challenging them to help snap a four-game losing streak. But after a thrilling, come-from-behind 5-4 shootout win Saturday night over the New York Rangers — which Marcus Foligno said could be a “season changer” — Sunday’s outdoor practice had a fun, familial vibe.
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The Recreation Outdoor Center in St. Louis Park was packed, a standing-room-only crowd cheering and interacting with players following a spirited three-on-three scrimmage. Players had thrown their sticks out to mid-ice — an old-school way of picking teams. The winning team will get served breakfast by the losers at TRIA Rink before Monday’s practice. Several players on the White team immediately put in their requests.
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“I’m going to wake up hungry,” Vinni Lettieri said, laughing. “It’s going to be something good.”
“Not looking forward to it,” joked Foligno, on the losing Green team.
Filip Gustavsson stares through the glass at his son, Vollrad, being held by his wife, Rebecka. (Joe Smith / The Athletic)What players looked forward to the most was bringing their kids onto the ice after practice. A bunch of them were out there for a half hour or so after the session. Filip Gustavsson cradled his baby son, Vollrad, as he skated around. Mats Zuccarello helped one-year-old daughter, Matilda, put her two feet on the ice, then took photos with her and “Uncle” Kirill Kaprizov. Marc-Andre Fleury, the hero of the shootout Saturday night, was making saves on his kids, who jumped on his back in the crease — a goalie interference he didn’t mind.
“It was really nice, obviously,” Evason said. “We changed the format this year to have some interaction with the fans. Throwing the sticks — maybe people remember that’s how it used to be back in the day. You threw your sticks and stayed there all day, new people came in and you just re-threw them. So we wanted to have a little bit of fun.”
Believe that’s goalie interference 🙂 Marc-Andre Fleury doesn’t mind pic.twitter.com/hgyV0UdsJz
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithNHL) November 5, 2023
Inside the Halloween party
The Wild held their team Halloween party at Red Wagon Pizza Company in Minneapolis last Monday, and there were a few players who stole the show.
The player with the longest prep time might have been center Ryan Hartman, who recruited a movie makeup artist to turn him into Dr. Phil. Hartman had seen someone pull it off on a YouTube comedy show and figured he’d try. It took two hours for the transformation, and Hartman still had glue on his hair and neck as late as Thursday when he faced the Rangers.
“I felt like it’d be fun,” said Hartman, the Wild’s goal-scoring leader with seven.
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Fleury’s wife, Véronique, was the Johnny Depp movie character “Edward Scissorhands,” so the goalie was a big green brush. He cut some holes in front so he could breathe and see, but Brandon Duhaime joked Fleury walked around like a “tin soldier” all night.
“It’s tough to come up with new stuff,” Fleury said.
(Video of Brock Faber and his girlfriend, Morgan Bosacker, courtesy of Marcus Foligno)
Dakota Mermis didn’t think he’d be with the Wild for their Halloween party; the AHL Iowa captain was called up due to injuries. So on the charter flight back from Newark last Sunday night, he was watching rookie Brock Faber sleep.
“I said to myself, ‘There’s my costume,’” Mermis said.
He decided to dress up like the former Gophers captain. Mermis bought a Gophers sweatshirt, then went to a party store to buy glasses and a big wig.
“He did a pretty good job,” Faber said. “The hair was a little off. I’m hoping my hair doesn’t look like that. But the glasses were right on with the Gophers shirt. Really fun.”
(Video of Marcus Foligno and his wife, Natascia, courtesy of Foligno)
Foligno was soccer star David Beckham, with his wife playing Victoria. Faber was “Squints” from the movie “The Sandlot” and his girlfriend was crush Wendy Peffercorn. Gustavsson and Jonas Brodin were sharks. But the unanimous winner for best costume was Alex Goligoski and his wife, Amanda, who showed up as “Dumb and Dumber” characters Harry and Lloyd, played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels.
They not only purchased a scooter on Facebook Marketplace, but they also spray-painted the scooter red and rode right into the team party.
Neck guard time?
The tragic death of former University of Minnesota Duluth star Adam Johnson — who was cut in the neck by a skate while playing professionally in England — has made players across the NHL reconsider whether they should use added protection.
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Hartman still has a scar on his right arm from when an opposing player cut him with his skate in juniors. He has worn padding there ever since. Most players wear protective socks for their Achilles and some wear Kevlar protection on their wrists.
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Around a dozen Wild players have inquired with the equipment and medical staff about neck guards, which look like turtlenecks above their jerseys. No Wild player has worn one so far, though there’s a backorder on that type of product, which has been in hot demand.
“If guys want to wear them, go ahead and wear them,” said Hartman, the Wild’s alternate NHLPA player rep. “I got stepped on in juniors and after that, I wore (protection) on my sleeve because I was worried about it. It’s pretty scary. But it’s comfort to me. It’s a guy’s preference. With what happened (to Johnson), it’s hard to not want to wear one. But at the same time, it’s so rare. (The neck guard) can be hot, very warm in there too. It’s a comfort thing for each guy.”
Flower being Flower
One of the funnier moments of the Wild-Devils game eight days ago was Jack Hughes and Fleury having a little conversation during play as Hughes stood atop the goal crease waiting for a Wild breakout. Hughes cracked a smile at the end as Fleury talked away.
What do you think Jack Hughes and Marc-André Fleury are chatting up about during the game? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9HuiqKK2u4
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 29, 2023
What was Fleury saying?
“I’m always trying to distract,” he said, smiling. “Just a little chit-chat.”
(Top photo: Joe Smith / The Athletic)
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