Star Tribune January 23rd 1998

 The neon message board at Henjy Rental, across the street from Aldrich Arena, was lit up soon after fans inside the rink learned the name of Minnesota's NHL expansion team.

The sign read: What's Wild?

The Minnesota Wild, that's what. The team with the new nickname and logo is set to begin play in the 2000-2001 season.

During a 30-minute ceremony Thursday night at the Maplewood arena, 3,500 hockey fans saw native Minnesotan and former North Star Neal Broten skate a lap around the rink while carrying the Stanley Cup overhead. That was a nod to the state's rich hockey history. Broten was followed by 26 enthusiastic youngsters, each wearing the jersey of a current NHL team. That was a testimony to the future.

"We made a statement here," said Jac Sperling, chief executive officer of the Wild. "We had children involved, we were in a neighborhood rink, and we're grass-roots hockey. Hockey is a grass-roots sport, and we're going to be down where our fans are, which is neighborhood rinks and with kids. That's an important part of what we're going to be doing."

Lead investor Bob Naegele Jr., St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman and NHL senior vice president Brian Burke spoke to the fans literally in their midst before the nickname was unveiled. Spotlights found each of the men sitting in the crowd, as were several former NHL players who had been invited to the event.

When the time came for the unveiling, the obligatory smoke, lights and fireworks were followed by a giant puck - bearing the predominantly green-and-red team logo - dropping out of a four-sided, center-ice video screen.

Then came the Steppenwolf song "Born To Be Wild," more fireworks and cheers. The 26 kids on skates threw hats and T-shirts to the crowd while Naegele spoke at center ice, his words drowned out by fans hollering for freebies.

Speaking of merchandise, items went on sale immediately after the event at a tent outside the arena, and will be available starting today at retail outlets. A jersey design is still in the works, and a mascot also is yet to come.

The team was given NHL approval last June, and then invited fan input on a nickname. A list of six finalists was revealed in November: Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears and Wild. Sperling said the decision to go with Wild came in late November or early December.

"There'll be some fans who maybe don't like this particular name and logo," Sperling said. "But I think they'll come to learn to love it, as they get to know the identity. The identity is the wilderness. It's one of the good things about Minnesota; the rugged natural wilderness and the enthusiasm of the fans, which is kind of a double play on the word."

Deposits of $100 have been placed on nearly 10,000 season tickets for the 2000-2001 season. The team will play at a new arena that will replace RiverCentre (formally the St. Paul Civic Center), and now that a nickname has been chosen, the arena is the next big item on the agenda.

"The arena design should be completed sometime in the next three, four months," Sperling said. "The present arena will come down sometime shortly thereafter, and we'll have the new arena construction started in St. Paul in July."

Naegele called the nickname announcement another step in the young team's growth.

"It gives certainty to fans that it's a real deal. `Minnesota Hockey NHL' doesn't necessarily put you in a position where you say, `I have to have that.' Now we have a name, and that was an important milestone.

"The baby was born but it had no name. You love your kids even without a name, but after a while you say, `We've got to give you a name.' " Only 982 days to go before the puck drops.

It's Wild

- The logo: Designed in an organic, naturalist form. - The colors: Iron Range Red, Forest Green, Harvest Gold and Minnesota Wheat. - The concept: The Wild was selected from a list of six finalists submitted by fans because: "We think it best represents what Minnesota hockey fans hold most dear - our rugged natural wilderness, the premier brand hockey that's native to Minnesota and the great enthusiasm of all of our hockey fans," CEO Jac Sperling said. - Merchandise: Will be available at retail outlets throughout Minnesota beginning today. The official jersey is not ready yet. "We'll sit down with NHL Enterprises in the next few weeks and start talking about jersey design," Sperling said. "But we don't play for 2 1/2 years, but we'd like to get it done soon." - What's next: Sperling said arena design will be completed "in the next three, four months. The present arena will come down sometime shortly thereafter, and we'll have the new arena start in its place in St. Paul in July."

Expansion update A brief status report of the four expansion teams set to join the NHL in the next couple of years:

Nashville Predators. - First season: 1998-99. - Season tickets: More than 7,000 sold. - Arena: Nashville Arena.

Atlanta (nickname undecided). - First season: 1999-2000. - Season tickets: 8,100 deposits received, $100 each. - Arena: Will play at new arena, to be built.

Columbus Blue Jackets. - First season: 2000-01. - Season tickets: Have sold an unannounced number of personal seat licenses, $100 each. - Arena: Will play at Nationwide Arena, to be built.

Minnesota Wild - First season: 2000-01. - Season tickets: Nearly 10,000 deposits received, $100 each. - Arena: Will play at new arena in downtown St. Paul.

Best and worst nicknames The results of an unscientific call-in poll to determine the best and worst nicknames of a Twin-Cities based pro sports franchise showed that the clear favorite was the North Stars and the Vikings. The winner of the worst nickname was the Minnesota Pipers, with Goofys, Fighting Pike and Loons close behind. It's interesting to note that eight callers named "any of the six proposed nicknames for the Minnesota NHL team as the worst of all time.

BEST:
North Stars 24 .
Vikings 16 .
Lakers 11 .
Timberwolves 8 .
Twins 7 .
Fighting Saints .
(two hockey teams) 6.
Saints (Baseball) 5 .
Minnesota Moose 5 .
Minneapolis Millers 3 .
Minneapolis Loons 3 .
Fighting Pike 2 .
Penguins (Tennis) 1 .

WORST NICKNAMES
Pipers 11.
Goofy's (softball) 8.
Fighting Pike
(arena football) 6.
Minneapolis Loons 5.
Arctic Blast 4.
Skippers (Bowling) 4.
Monarchs 3.
St. Paul Slam 3.
Minneapolis Millers 1.
Muskie 1.

Fillies .

(womens' basketball) 4
Norsemen (softball) 2.
Twins 2.
Millers 1.
Moose 1.
Strikers 1.