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32 Backstrom25 Belanger47 Bergeron24 Boogaard96 Bouchard15 brunette8 burns26 foster10 Gaborik29 Harding5 johnsson9 koivu20 miettinen11 nolan2 reitz55 schultz51 Sheppard41 skoula19 Veilleux12 Weller3 ZidlickyHockey OperationsBlair MackaseyDIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL SCOUTINGBlair Mackasey (pronounced MACK-uh-see) is in his third season as Director of ProfessionalScouting for the Minnesota Wild after being named to the position on January 10, 2006. He reportsto Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel, Tom Thompson and oversees all aspects ofthe club’s professional scouting.Mackasey, 52 (12/13/55), joined the Wild from Hockey Canada, where he was named Head Scoutin June of 2002 and was later named Director of Player Personnel in July of 2005. While withHockey Canada, he was responsible for all player evaluation and player selections for Canada’sNational Junior Team Development and Selection Camps as well as Canada’s Men’s Under-18Program. Mackasey also assisted Wayne Gretzky and Canada’s management and coaching staff in player evaluations for Canada’s 2006Men’s Olympic Hockey Team. During his four seasons with Hockey Canada, he won back-to-back World Junior gold medals (2005 and 2006)and two silver medals (2003 and 2004), overseeing player selection and operations of Canada’s National Junior Team at the IIHF World JuniorChampionship. Mackasey also won two gold medals with Canada’s National Under-18 Summer Team at the Junior World Cup (2005, 2004), asilver medal with Canada’s National Under-18 Team at the World Championship in April of 2005 and a gold medal in 2003.Prior to joining Hockey Canada, he was a member of the Phoenix Coyotes’ scouting staff for six seasons (1996-2002). Mackasey spent threeseasons as a Head Coach in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Granby Bisons (1993-94) and the Drummondville Voltigeurs(1994-96). He also played minor league baseball in the Montreal Expos organization with the likes of Ellis Valentine and Gary Carter.Mackasey and his wife, Debbie, have four children, Andrea, Blair Jr., Erin and Dave. The family resides in Beaconsfield, Quebec.Chris SnowDIRECTOR OF HOCKEY OPERATIONSChris Snow is in his third season as Director of Hockey Operations for the Minnesota Wild afterbeing named to the position on June 14, 2006. He is responsible for many of the day-to-day dutiesof the hockey operations department, including developing and executing strategic planning,analyzing rosters and salary commitments of other NHL teams, performing player contract andarbitration research and supporting team staff in scouting operations, training camps and teamtravel. Snow also assists the club with data analysis of hockey at the amateur and professionallevel and works with wild.com to provide insight into player personnel and team information.Snow, 27 (8/11/81), most recently was a staff writer for the Boston Globe, where he served asBoston Red Sox beat writer. Prior to that, he covered the Wild’s 2003-04 season for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. A graduate of SyracuseUniversity, Snow interned for the Globe in 2001 and 2002 and also served as a sports intern at the Los Angeles Times.He and his wife, Kelsie, reside in Saint Paul.Minnesota Wild Scouting StaffAMATEUR SCOUTSPaul Charles Marc Chamard Brian Fortin Christopher HamelCindy SweigerHockey OperationsAdministratorEUROPEAN SCOUTSHOCKEY OPERATIONS STAFFCarrie PetersonNutritionistShep HarderProject ManagerPRO SCOUTBranislav Gaborik Jiri KoluchMatti Vaisanen Jamie HislopLaura KinzelExecutive Assistant,Hockey Operations24 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 25Brian HunterKen ProstGlen SonmorErnie VargasTable of contents Hockey Operations Wild THings The Players Team History Team Records Playoff History The NHL