32 Backstrom25 Belanger47 Bergeron24 Boogaard96 Bouchard15 brunette8 burns26 foster10 GaborikCM29 HardingY5 johnssonCMMY9 koivuCYCMY20 miettinenK11 nolan2 reitz55 schultz51 Sheppard41 skoula19 Veilleux12 Weller3 ZidlickyTeam His<strong>to</strong>ryTable of contents Hockey Operations <strong>Wild</strong> THings The Players Team His<strong>to</strong>ry Team Records Playoff His<strong>to</strong>ry The NHL
32 Backstrom25 Belanger47 Bergeron24 Boogaard96 Bouchard15 brunette8 burns26 foster10 Gaborik29 Harding5 johnsson9 koivu20 miettinen11 nolan2 reitz55 schultz51 Sheppard41 skoula19 Veilleux12 Weller3 ZidlickyDIVISION CHAMPS FOR FIRST TIME: An his<strong>to</strong>ric 2007-08regular season ended with the <strong>Wild</strong>’s first-ever divisionchampionship, following a record of 44-28-10 for 98points. The clincher came with a 3-1 win over Calgary onApril 3, behind a pair of his<strong>to</strong>ric goals from RW MarianGaborik. The vic<strong>to</strong>ry also gave Head Coach Jacques Lemairehis 500th coaching vic<strong>to</strong>ry.CAREER YEAR FOR GABBY: RW Marian Gaborik enjoyed hismost successful season yet – reaching career bests andfranchise records in goals (42) and points (83), includingthe NHL’s first five-goal game in nearly 11 seasons,against the New York Rangers on Dec. 20. He added an assistfor his second career six-point game. Gaborik also tiedhis own team record with eight GWG – three in overtime –and tied for the team lead with 11 PPG. Gaborik posted 10multi-goal games and 20 multi-point games while leadingthe <strong>Wild</strong> in plus-minus (+17). The <strong>Wild</strong> is 21-0-3 in thelast 24 games that Gaborik scores a goal, and 24-2-3 forthe season. The <strong>Wild</strong> enters the 2008-09 season 33-3-3all-time when Gaborik scores two or more goals, and24-0-2 when he has three or more points. March was ahuge month for Gaborik, who served as team captain forthe first time. He notched his 400th career point at ATL(3/7), while he reached another career miles<strong>to</strong>ne with his200th goal vs. LA (3/15). He posted two or more points five2007-08 <strong>Minnesota</strong> wildFront Row (left <strong>to</strong> right): Niklas Backstrom, Mario Tremblay, Mike Ramsey, Jacques Lemaire, Bob Naegele Jr., Craig Leipold, Bob Mason, Matt Shaw,Josh Harding Second Row (left <strong>to</strong> right): Matt Benz, Dr. Sheldon Burns, Dr. Dan Peterson, Don Fuller, Petteri Nummelin, Mark Parrish, Eric Belanger,Brian Rols<strong>to</strong>n, Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, Sean Hill, Pavol Demitra, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Dr. Joel Boyd, Mike Vogt, Travis Green, Kirk Olson ThirdRow (left <strong>to</strong> right): Tony DaCosta, Stephane Veilleux, Keith Carney, Martin Skoula, Todd Fedoruk, Matt Foy, Branko Radivojevic, Kim Johnsson, NickSchultz Top Row (left <strong>to</strong> right): Brent Proulx, Aaron Voros, Chris Simon, Derek Boogaard, Kurtis Foster, Brent Burns, Benoit Pouliot, James Sheppardtimes in the season’s final nine games (6-6=12).FRANCHISE MARKS FOR BACKSTROM: G Niklas Backstrom’ssecond season in a <strong>Wild</strong> uniform was also ahis<strong>to</strong>rical one. He set franchise records for wins (33) andsaves (1,498). Backstrom, who had two of his four shu<strong>to</strong>utsin the season’s first four games, began the seasonwith a 5-0-1 mark, and ended it even better. Backstromwent 7-0-4 in his last 11 decisions, with a 1.61 GAA anda .944 SV% in that span. Backstrom won seven of his lasteight decisions (7-0-1) dating back <strong>to</strong> March 15, with a1.41 GAA and a .950 SV% in that time. Backstrom hasbeen stellar in March and April in his career, with just tworegulation losses in 26 decisions. Backstrom is 18-2-6with a 1.60 GAA in his career from Mar. 1 onward. He alsohas five of his nine shu<strong>to</strong>uts in that span. Backstrom is37-0-2 when heading in<strong>to</strong> the third period with the lead.He is 52-15-10 in his last 76 decisions and 43-12-8 in hislast 63. Backstrom and Josh Harding combined <strong>to</strong> play all82 games – just the second time in team his<strong>to</strong>ry that nomore than two goalies played in a single season.500 FOR LEMAIRE: <strong>Wild</strong> Head Coach Jacques Lemairepicked up his 500th coaching vic<strong>to</strong>ry (4/3) against Calgary.Lemaire became the 12th coach <strong>to</strong> reach that miles<strong>to</strong>ne– tying his former Montreal Canadiens coach, ToeBlake, for 11th all-time. Lemaire became the third NHLseason notescoach <strong>to</strong> obtain his 500th win last season, joining SanJose’s Ron Wilson and Florida’s Jacques Martin. Lemairealso became the 14th coach in NHL his<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong> reach the1,000 regular season games coached plateau (12/18).Scotty Bowman is the NHL’s all-time leader with 1,244games won. Lemaire is also the only person in NHL his<strong>to</strong>ry<strong>to</strong> play in 800 games and coach in 1,000.BURNS CLAIMS WILD D-MAN RECORD: D Brent Burnsrewrote the <strong>Wild</strong>’s record book for defenseman scoring,posting 43 points (15-28=43) while becoming just thesecond blueliner in team his<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong> play in all 82 games.The previous record for points was held by LubomirSekeras (11-23=34). The <strong>Wild</strong> went 11-1-3 when Burnsscored a goal this season. He also set franchise recordsfor power play points in a season by a defensemen with19 (8-11=19), and PPG by a defenseman (8). In addition,Burns scored four GWG – tying the franchise record for adefenseman and went 3-for-5 in shoo<strong>to</strong>ut attempts whileranking third on the team with a +12.ASSIST RECORD FOR BOUCHARD: RW Pierre-MarcBouchard turned in a franchise-record 50 assists amonghis career-best 63 points (13-50=63) for the season.Bouchard broke the assist mark set in 2001-02 by AndrewBrunette (48) and surpassed his 59-point <strong>to</strong>tal in2005-06. Bouchard tied his career-high with four points(2-2=4) at VAN (1/21), while also becoming the secondplayer in team his<strong>to</strong>ry <strong>to</strong> post 200 career points.KOIVU COMEBACK: Despite missing 24 games with acracked fibula and often being matched against an opponent’s<strong>to</strong>p line, third-year C Mikko Koivu ranked second onthe team with a +13 while accruing 42 points (11-31=42)in 57 games. Beginning Feb. 27, Koivu picked up 16points (3-13=16) in 19 games as the <strong>Wild</strong> went 10-4-5.He <strong>to</strong>pped the 19-minute mark in all but two of those18 games, including a career-high 25:06 in the divisionclincher over Calgary (4/3).RESPONSIBLE D: D Nick Schultz turned in a minus ratingjust once in his last 18 games. He was a +10 startingon Feb. 27, a span that saw the <strong>Wild</strong> go 10-4-4. Schultzmissed the season finale at COL (4/6) with flu-like symp<strong>to</strong>ms(later diagnosed as appendicitits), snapping hisstreak of consecutive games played at 177 since March19, 2006, vs. CGY.LATE NIGHT RUN TO THE “FRIDGE”: LW Todd Fedoruk wasacquired off re-entry waivers from Dallas on ThanksgivingDay, and Fedoruk’s impact was huge. He posted 11points (6-5=11) and 106 PIM in 58 games with the <strong>Wild</strong>,establishing a new career-high in goals while picking upthe first two power play goals of his career. Fedoruk scoredthree goals in the season’s final six games.DEMITRA THE TABLE-SETTER: RW Pavol Demitra had hisstreak of nine consecutive 20-goal seasons snapped, buthe was an assist machine in the <strong>Wild</strong>’s late-season run.Demitra had six assists in a four-game streak <strong>to</strong> end theseason, and had 10 helpers in the last seven games. Demitraranked fourth on the <strong>Wild</strong>’s roster in points (15-39=54)and third in assists while ending the regular season with699 career points (281-418=699).30 AGAIN FOR ROLSTON: RW Brian Rols<strong>to</strong>n tallied his 30thgoal of the season March 30 <strong>to</strong> notch a third straight seasonof 30 goals or better and fourth overall. The <strong>Wild</strong> went44-7-7 over the last two seasons when Rols<strong>to</strong>n scores agoal. Rols<strong>to</strong>n ended with 59 points (31-28=59).1,000 FOR CARNEY: D Keith Carney became the 14th activedefenseman and the 29th U.S.-born skater <strong>to</strong> appearin 1,000 career NHL games when he <strong>to</strong>ok the ice vs. CGY(2/24). Carney scored his lone goal of the season in the<strong>Wild</strong>’s season finale at COL (4/6), and put up three points(1-2=3) over the campaign’s final four games.ROOKIE KEEPS PACE: C James Sheppard broke PascalDupuis’ mark for most games played by a <strong>Wild</strong> rookie (76in 2001-02). The Halifax, Nova Scotia native <strong>to</strong>taled 19points (4-15=19) in 78 games.THE BIG “VO”: LW Aaron Voros made a quick splash uponhis November recall from AHL Hous<strong>to</strong>n, scoring goals inback-<strong>to</strong>-back games (11/16 and 11/18). Voros had fourmultiple-point games in his first 21 contests and endedthe season fifth on the team in hits (96). Voros, whoovercame a tumor in his knee while playing at Alaska-Anchorage,was also nominated for the Bill Master<strong>to</strong>n MemorialTrophy by the Twin Cities chapter of the ProfessionalHockey Writers’ Association.A FLOURISH AT BEGINNING, END: <strong>Minnesota</strong> began theseason with five straight wins en route <strong>to</strong> a franchise-record7-0-1 start. The <strong>Wild</strong> struggled through a five-gamewinless streak Oct. 24-Nov. 1, and a four-game slideFeb. 19-26. But <strong>Minnesota</strong> used a 4-0-0 homestand Mar.26-Apr. 3 <strong>to</strong> clinch the division, outscoring opponents 13-4in the process, while suffering just two regulation lossesin its final 14 games overall (7-2-5).118 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 2008-09 MINNESOTA WILD TEAM GUIDE 119Table of contents Hockey Operations <strong>Wild</strong> THings The Players Team His<strong>to</strong>ry Team Records Playoff His<strong>to</strong>ry The NHL
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