Latest news with #XcelEnergyCenter
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Minnesota Wild Offseason Gets Lukewarm Grade
This offseason was supposed to be an opportunity for Bill Guerin to make waves after Zach Parise and Ryan Suter's contract buyouts. There were multiple names that drew interest from the Minnesota Wild. They stuck out more than the worst version of the Minnesota Twins. Unless you buy what Geurin wants to sell with the name Vladimir Tarasenko, or Nico Sturm being a Stanley Cup cog, there's a lot to be desired. That's an unfortunate reality after all of the waiting fans from the newly named Xcel Energy Center have done. Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images That reality isn't lost on those evaluating that leagues happenings either. Advertisement Related Headlines Mediocrity defines MN Wild offseason Although the offseason really just got underway, plenty of defining moves have already taken place. There is now a shortage of openly available talent and the Minnesota Wild didn't do any heavy lifting. The Athletic's Michael Russo weighed in after assigning the team a C+ grade. 'The Wild had hoped to sign Brock Nelson in free agency, but he re-signed in Colorado. They wanted to sign Brock Boeser, but when it became clear he had other options, they pivoted to Vladimir Tarasenko on a one-year bet that his career can be reinvigorated. Nico Sturm should help their penalty-kill and faceoff needs, but this was not the July 1 'Christmas' fans expected after four years of buyout shackles limiting their every move.' Michael Russo – The Athletic The key word in Russo's evaluation is 'but.' The Minnesota Wild intended to do plenty of things and missed on virtually all of those that carried significant impact. Maybe Geurin forgot how to be aggressive during the years he was strapped with buyouts for Parise and Suter. Maybe he overplayed what the market for some of these free agents actually would be. Advertisement Either way, it results in a very underwhelming crop of talent. It's likely that Kirill Kaprizov signs an extension, and it will have the potential to make him the league's highest-paid player. That's great, but he's not an addition, and more money doesn't help them bring in new talent. Related: Minnesota Wild Arena Renamed The Wild aren't along in their rating. 11 different organizations got grades in the 'C' range with Minnesota being joined by Vancouver, Anaheim, and Buffalo amongst the 'C+' contingent. Only Chicago and Columbus recorded 'D' grades. It remains to be seen how Minnesota will build the rest of the way, and they'll finally have space to add at the trade deadline. For a team that finished 45-30-7 and exited with another patented first round playoff loss, this doesn't seem great. Advertisement Related Headlines
30-06-2025
- Business
Wild now play at Grand Casino Arena after new naming rights deal succeeds Xcel Energy Center
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild will play the upcoming season at Grand Casino Arena, after a naming rights deal with the tribal gaming and hospitality company that succeeds the venue's original name, Xcel Energy Center. The Wild's parent organization, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, announced on Monday the 14-year agreement with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe that takes effect on Sept. 3. The tribe operates two casino-resort complexes in east-central Minnesota, north of the Twin Cities. The arena, which has about 18,000 seats for hockey, opened in 2000 for the Wild's inaugural season in the NHL on a 25-year naming rights deal with Xcel Energy that expired this summer. The utility provider remains a community and business partner of the club. In addition to Wild games, the downtown arena in Minnesota's capital has hosted four NCAA Men's Frozen Four events, two U.S. figure skating championships, two U.S. gymnastics championships, a Republican National Convention and numerous high school state tournaments, concerts and shows.
Washington Post
30-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
Wild now play at Grand Casino Arena after new naming rights deal succeeds Xcel Energy Center
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild will play the upcoming season at Grand Casino Arena, after a naming rights deal with the tribal gaming and hospitality company that succeeds the venue's original name, Xcel Energy Center. The Wild's parent organization, Minnesota Sports and Entertainment, announced on Monday the 14-year agreement with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe that takes effect on Sept. 3. The tribe operates two casino-resort complexes in east-central Minnesota, north of the Twin Cities.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sonnen's Pet Shop, among city's oldest stores, closes after over 130 years downtown
After more than 130 years in downtown St. Paul and 91 under the ownership of the Sonnen family, Sonnen's Pet Shop, one of the city's oldest retail stores, has quietly closed. Second-generation owner David Sonnen, 81, has retired, and the last day for the store — a tiny alcove in the historic Hamm Building that sold birds, fish and other animal accessories — was in May. Up until its final days, the store famously looked nearly identical to how it had in decades past. But the city around it had changed, David Sonnen said, and downtowns in St. Paul and elsewhere simply no longer serve the same purpose they once did, as a city's main retail hub. 'When I think back 20 or 30 years ago, it was just constant people, all day long, walking back and forth,' he said. 'They came down to go shopping. Everything was down here. But then, of course, the (suburban shopping centers) came and people started going to those, and the online stuff now. Times have changed.' The business first began in the 1890s as an animal and seed store near what's now the corner of Cedar Street and Kellogg Boulevard, and moved several times. In 1934, amid the Great Depression, the then-owner's widow told young employee Louis Sonnen he could either buy the store or be out of a job. He took up her offer, renamed the store, stopped selling the cats and dogs he found smelly and, during World War II, moved the store to its longtime Hamm Building location. David Sonnen officially took over operations in the 1970s but his father, who died in 2001, remained active in the business. 'I liked being downtown, I liked the atmosphere and I liked taking care of the birds and the fish,' David Sonnen said. 'If things were better (downtown), I'd stay, because it was fun, and I grew up with it. But it just got to a point where it wasn't worth it anymore.' As for why David Sonnen decided to close the store rather than finding a new owner, all his kids pursued different career paths, and he felt it 'wouldn't be fair for somebody to buy the place when it isn't in a location that's any good anymore and you can't make a living at it,' he said. During its heyday, though, the store attracted not only everyday shoppers but the occasional celebrity, too. Jack Lemmon would stop in to buy dog food while shooting 'Grumpy Old Men' in the 1990s, David Sonnen said. As for David Sonnen himself, he now has more time to take care of projects around the house, he said. He doesn't currently have any pets at home, though, he said with a laugh. Expect traffic headaches Saturday with protest, sports, music, I-94 closure Twin Cities transit: The B Line replaces the Route 21 on Saturday MN Legislature: Xcel Energy Center shut out of bond funding for renovations World's largest woodturning expo comes to RiverCentre this weekend St. Paul Downtown Development Corp. seeks to acquire Alliance Bank Center
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
No state funding secured for Xcel Energy Center renovation this time around
The Brief The Xcel Energy Center came out empty-handed from Minnesota's legislative session once again. The City of St. Paul and the Minnesota Wild leadership have been pushing for state funds for major renovations for years. ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The Xcel Energy Center is nearly 25 years old. Local leaders said the arena needs a major overhaul. Local officials said it is a priority for the city and important for the revitalization of the area. However, they failed to convince the Minnesota Legislature this time around. The backstory According to the city, the arena's lifespan was intended to be 25 years. From the initial ask for state bond funding a couple of years ago, the amount requested has ranged from $2 million to nearly $400 million. Most recently, landing on a $50 million ask with the city and Wild planning to cover the rest. The requests have not only been a moving target in terms of the dollar amount requested, but also in scope. What they're saying Plus, this project was up against many others across the state. Minnesota lawmakers said there was a focus on passing critical functional infrastructure projects, including water and roads. In response to this outcome, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and the Minnesota Wild sent FOX 9 this statement and said they will continue the work. "The arena complex welcomes people from across our region and drives economic vitality in our capital city. We'll keep working alongside state lawmakers and community partners to ensure this vital statewide asset is modernized to meet today's needs, and sustained as a vibrant hub that benefits residents, visitors, and our regional economy alike."
