A Minnesota Wild preseason game delivered one of those arena moments fans don’t forget, and it had nothing to do with the box score. On Saturday night at Grand Casino Arena, a fan named Colin stepped into the team’s Shoot for Seasons contest and turned a long-shot challenge into a scene-stealer.
The setup was brutal. Most of the net was blocked by a green board, leaving only a tiny gap to shoot through - barely wider than the puck itself. Colin, wearing a green Joel Eriksson Ek sweater with jeans and sneakers, took his shot from center ice and somehow threaded it through.
The prize was season tickets, and Colin earned them the hard way.
The reaction inside the building said it all, but the celebration after the shot may have been even better than the finish. Colin bolted down the ice, launched himself into the corner glass, then turned back toward center ice shouting in triumph. It was the kind of over-the-top reaction that made the moment stick.
The clip quickly made the rounds among Wild fans, with some joking that Minnesota ought to hand Colin a professional tryout, or PTO, before the season starts.
That was only part of the night’s good news for Minnesota. The Wild also picked up a 3-2 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks in their preseason opener. Now the attention shifts to the regular season, which begins Oct. 1 when Minnesota visits Nashville to face the Predators.
Colin may not be headed for the roster, but after that shot and the celebration that followed, he looked right at home on the ice.
In Other News...
Wild Suddenly Have A Stake In Dylan Larkin's Messy Red Wings Standoff
Dylan Larkins trade request has turned an already awkward stretch in Detroit into a situation with ripple effects far beyond the Red Wings. Minnesota has emerged as one of the teams with at least some interest, which makes the Wild part of a conversation that still feels fluid and unresolved. Larkin has not explained publicly why he wants out, and the Red Wings were reportedly caught off guard when the request became public, adding another layer of uncertainty to a front office that is already dealing with management changes.
For the Wild, the real question is whether this can become more than background noise. Detroit has not made a final decision on what to do with Larkin, and so far it has not gotten the kind of offer it would need to seriously move him. Minnesotas involvement matters because the market is still taking shape, but it also leaves the Wild waiting on a standoff that could drag on without a clear end in sight. [Read more 🡒]
Charlie Stramel Is Already Creating A Wild Roster Debate
The Wilds preseason overtime win over the Blackhawks offered more than just a late result on the scoreboard. It also gave Charlie Stramel an early chance to show why Minnesota is already paying close attention after he left college hockey to begin his pro career, and the prospect was on the ice enough to be part of the nights bigger talking points.
Nico Sturms postgame praise only added to the buzz around Stramels fit, with the veteran drawing a lofty comparison based on his own view of the young forwards skating and shot. For a roster that is still sorting out its mix ahead of the regular season, Stramels presence has already turned a routine preseason look into a small but real debate about how quickly he can push his way into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Roster Battle Is Heating Up At Exactly The Right Time
Training camp is barely underway, but the Minnesota Wild already have some tough calls coming, and that is exactly what preseason is for. After opening camp and getting their first preseason game on the board, the team has started sorting through a crowded group of players, with plenty of names facing the possibility of heading to the minors unless they make a lasting impression in the days ahead.
John Hynes said roster cuts are coming soon as the Wild narrow the group for the regular season, and there are a few established veterans worth watching as they adjust to new roles. Blake Coleman, Ryan Hartman and Jared Spurgeon are among the players working through that transition, while Spurgeon and Hartman also addressed their contract situations in recent media sessions, adding a little more intrigue to a camp that already has more than enough of it. [Read more 🡒]