Wild Vs Avalanche: Wild Return to Denver After Olympic Gold Run for Coaches and Staff
The Minnesota Wild are back on the ice tonight in Denver for wild vs avalanche at Ball Arena, facing the league-leading Avalanche as the team reunites after staff and some players took part in the Olympic run. The matchup arrives with a projected lineup and lingering roster notes as the Wild look to close the gap atop the standings.
Wild Vs Avalanche: Projected Lineup for Tonight
The Wild’s projected forward lines for the game in Denver are listed as a projection and are subject to change:
- 97 Kirill Kaprizov - 38 Ryan Hartman - 36 Mats Zuccarello
- 90 Marcus Johansson - 14 Joel Eriksson Ek - 12 Matt Boldy
- 13 Yakov Trenin - 22 Danila Yurov - 91 Vladimir Tarasenko
- 17 Marcus Foligno - 78 Nico Sturm - 18 Vinnie Hinostroza
Coach John Hynes and Wild Staff Returning From Olympics
Head coach John Hynes served as an assistant on Team USA’s Olympic staff and took part in the team’s journey to becoming Olympic champions, but he does not possess a gold medal because Olympic medals were awarded to the players, not coaches. Hynes described the experience as valuable for his development, saying the high-stakes environment improved focus, preparation and the ability to handle highs and lows; he expects that experience to make him a better coach and to benefit the Wild as the team resumes play on Feb. 26 in Colorado.
Roster Availability and Travel Notes
Hynes was back on the ice with the Wild for the team’s last practice on Feb. 25 before traveling to play the Avalanche, but Matt Boldy, Brock Faber and Quinn Hughes were still absent at that practice. After Team USA’s overtime victory over Canada on Feb. 22, most players, including Boldy, Faber and Hughes, attended an invitation to the State of the Union and visited the White House. The Wild were scheduled to fly to Colorado together, and the plan is for all three players to be in action versus the Avalanche.
Support Staff and Team Management Involvement
The Wild provided support staff to Team USA in Italy: athletic trainers John Worley and Travis Green and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Joel Boyd were with the U. S. team, and assistant general manager Chris Kelleher served on the U. S. management staff under President of Hockey Operations Bill Guerin as the team’s GM. Hynes noted that Guerin appeared relieved and proud in the moment, with visible emotion on the bench after the championship.
Standings Context and Team Mood
Going into the Olympics the Wild were tied for the second-most points in the NHL with 78, trailing only first-place Colorado by five. The Avalanche used up one of their three games-in-hand on Feb. 25, a development that the Wild view as narrowing the gap and making the climb more plausible. Alternate captain Marcus Foligno said it would be "awesome to catch them and surpass them, " adding that the team felt confident after the break and prioritized earning a playoff spot.
What to Watch in wild vs avalanche
- Projected lines and any late changes: the announced lineup is a projection and subject to change.
- Return-to-play of Boldy, Faber and Quinn Hughes: their availability was expected for action versus the Avalanche after the team’s return travel plans.
- Impact of Olympic experience on coaching and preparation: Hynes emphasized lessons learned in focus, preparation and handling game emotions that he expects to apply with the Wild.
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