Wild Vs Avalanche: Olympic Gold Returns, Hynes’ Experience and a Tight Season Series Ahead
The Minnesota Wild return to the ice after the Olympic break for the wild vs avalanche matchup, reconnecting the roster with three U. S. gold-medal winners and a head coach fresh from an Olympic assistant role. The reunion matters because those returning players, coaching insights and recent transactions all affect Minnesota’s immediate push against a Colorado club that sits atop the division.
Wild Vs Avalanche: lineup updates and Olympic returns
Coach John Hynes, who served on the U. S. Olympic staff, will have Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes back in the fold after their gold-medal run in Milan. The three players visited the White House and attended the State of the Union before flying home on the owner’s plane to rejoin the team en route to Colorado. Hynes said the plan is for those players to play, and the team will manage practices and optional skates to help with rest and recovery during a condensed stretch of games.
The Wild fielded eight Olympic participants overall and held a mini-training camp in St. Paul in the week before travel. Most players practiced in St. Paul while the trio of returning Americans finished their Olympic commitments.
Series context, recent meetings and goaltending snapshot
The season series between the clubs has been tight. Minnesota took the opening meeting 3-2 in a shootout at Grand Casino Arena, while Colorado answered with a 5-1 win in St. Paul in the second matchup. All-time in the matchup, the Wild hold a record of 62-56-13, and their road mark in Colorado stands at 27-29-8.
| Wild leaders (season series) | Stats |
|---|---|
| Kirill Kaprizov | 3 points (2-1=2) |
| Ryan Hartman | 2 points (1-1=2) |
| Avalanche leaders (season series) | Stats |
|---|---|
| Nathan MacKinnon | 4 points (3-1=4) |
| Cale Makar | 4 points (1-3=4) |
Goaltending in the series has been notable: Jesper Wallstedt started both games for Minnesota and is 1-1-0 with a 2. 91 goals-against average and a. 927 save percentage. For Colorado, Scott Wedgewood stopped 37 of 39 shots in the first meeting, and Mackenzie Blackwood saved 28 of 29 to earn the win in the second meeting.
Injuries, roster moves and what to watch
Roster moves and availability figure into the matchup. The Wild recalled forward Ben Jones and defenseman Matt Kiersted from Iowa while reassigning defenseman Ben Gleason and forward Boris Katchouk back to Iowa. Jonas Brodin remains listed with a lower-body issue that cost him time earlier, and he has been on the ice in a limited, non-contact mode. Marcus Foligno and Jesper Wallstedt missed games recently due to illness; Foligno missed two games and Wallstedt missed two games.
- Key returning players: Matt Boldy, Brock Faber, Quinn Hughes (expected to rejoin lineup).
- Recent roster moves: Ben Jones and Matt Kiersted recalled; Ben Gleason and Boris Katchouk reassigned.
- Injury/availability notes: Jonas Brodin (lower body), Marcus Foligno (illness), Jesper Wallstedt (illness).
The matchup resumes with both clubs motivated—Minnesota seeking to capitalize on Olympic momentum and Colorado holding a narrow divisional lead. Expect the Wild to integrate their returning Olympic contributors while managing minutes and recovery through a compact schedule.
Details may evolve as final lineups and playing decisions are confirmed closer to puck drop.
