Minnesota Wild Announce Major Franchise Change Ahead of the 2025-26 Season
Photo credit: Sportsnet
The Minnesota Wild are set for a big off-season in 2025, and ahead of the new season, they've renamed their arena on a massive 14-year sponsorship deal.
This summer is crucial for the future of the Minnesota Wild, and while they're yet to make the big, franchise changing splash that many were hoping for, they have announced a major new change on Monday.
After being the Excel Energy Center for a number of years, the Wild announced that they have a new sponsor, revealing that their arena that they share with the PWHL's Minnesota Frost will now be named the Grand Casino Arena.
The new deal has reportedly been signed for 14-years, and while plenty of people were quick to criticize the continued gambling connection with professional sports in North America, owner Craig Leipold was thrilled with the new deal.
"Grand Casino Arena will serve as the anchor of a dynamic entertainment district that transforms downtown St. Paul. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has been a strong supporter of and investor in this city. We are thrilled for their partnership and support of the arena."
On top of that, Ronda Weizenegger, the CEO of Grand Casino noted how this is more than just a business partnership, but rather an investment in the future of Minnesota as a whole.
"This is more than a name change - it's a signal of where we're headed as a business. Grand Casino Arena represents the strength of tribal enterprise and our ongoing investment in Minnesota's future. We're proud to partner with the Minnesota Wild to bring this vision to life."
Whether fans like it or not, this is the way things are trending in the National Hockey League with increased sponsorships and the connection to gambling, with several teams wearing logos of gambling companies on their jerseys, with this latest deal another example of that.
Ultimately though, this is a great deal for Minnesota and the Wild/Frost, as they're locked into this partnership for over a decade to come, and while the change may be big now, in the grand scheme of things, it shouldn't effect fans in a negative way at all.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 30 | 200 ANSWERS Minnesota Wild Announce Major Franchise Change Ahead of the 2025-26 Season Is this a good move for the Minnesota Wild? | ||
| Yes | 138 | 69 % |
| No | 62 | 31 % |
| List of polls | ||
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