Wilderness Walk for 1-4-2012: Game Day Edition

by BReynolds on Jan 4, 2012 10:32 AM CST in Wilderness Walks

Welcome to the longest day of the year. No, January 4th does not generally qualify as the longest day, but the Wild play the Canucks tonight, meaning the game doesn't start until 9, the game won't end until at least 11:30, gamer by midnight and back up and on the road (for me) at 5AM. The fish better be biting this year.

On that note, enjoy the next four days under the control and guidance of the rest of the HW crew. I will be ice fishing and most likely enjoying a few adult beverages in the process. I shall report back if I can via Twitter, but where we're going, you don't need roads. I mean... there is no signal usually. So enjoy your break from me.

Back to hockey. The Walk is somewhat short, but you have a chance to help us win some donation money, and a small opportunity to read some news. Enjoy.

Get well soon, Jack. The entire hockey world is pulling for you.

REMEMBER: You can always donate at Jack Jablonski's CaringBridge page - http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jackjablonski

First Things First

bublaa beta - Join the Hockey Wilderness community on Bublaa. It's another social networking site. It's free, and if we create the largest community, we can donate some fairly significant cash to Defending the Blue Line. So go sign up.

Wild News

Zidlicky's offensive talents are beginning to resurface | StarTribune.com - Indeed. Now, keep it that way.

Making the case for a Minnesota / Dallas Winter Classic - Let's just be clear on this. It will never, ever happen.

Tending the Fields

The Third Intermission: Kuemper wins AHL award / Wild getting healthier / Looking ahead in January - All this kid does is win awards.

First Round Bust: 2012 WJC: Finland-Sweden Thoughts - Good game... not so much for Wild prospects.

Mikael Granlund Among The Pack of Minnesota Prospects Shining At The WJC | The Hockey Writers - Good read about some of the prospects.

Enemy Perspective

Sports - Hockey - The Vancouver Sun - Enjoy the view from the evil side of the coin.

Nucks Misconduct - The SBNation home for all things Nucks, and a fairly decent group of people.

Off the Trail

Why You Heff To Be Mad?: Winter Classic Edition | Jacques Lemaire's Trap - Good read about the Classic. Though, I didn't watch it, so I have no idea what this is about.

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Comments

I think I’m going to be going through sarcasm withdrawl the next 4 days

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Jan 4, 2012 11:36 AM CST reply actions

Rene Bourque

Anybody see his blatant elbow to the face of Backstrom last night?

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Jan 4, 2012 11:38 AM CST reply actions

So now Dallas wants to claim a rivalry?

I don’t care much for the Stars and hope when we do play in the classic it is against Chicago.

by GooterBaby on Jan 4, 2012 1:42 PM CST reply actions

If/When

we get a Winter Classic I hope it’s at TCF Field instead of Target Field. More seats/revenue and better viewing. They already had some experience with winter there with the Metrodome/Vikings fiasco. I think since the Wild aren’t the most nationally marketable team we would have to play someone more popular then Dallas. Realignment should help us build true rivalries and our prospects should make us a more popular and competitive team. Maybe Detroit or Chicago but screw them they’ve had theirs. So Winnipeg?

by HonorableH on Jan 4, 2012 2:23 PM CST up reply actions

Even thought it'll probably never happen

I’d say they’d play Chicago, and probably at Target Field because it is downtown, they can sell the appeal of it to the masses, there’s more parking, etc. Believe it or not, the Twins are more well known nationally than the Gophers. I think they only way they get one of these games is if Granlund and some of the other kids come here and are absolute studs.

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

I would bet a lot of money that it would be Target Field

And it’s for one reason only. Baring legislative change, they can’t serve beer at The Bank. Think the Wild/NHL is going to give up 9 beer night to 50,000 people. Not a chance.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 4, 2012 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

Good point, didn't even think of that.

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 2:37 PM CST up reply actions

I thought

they worked around that law for the Vikings game but maybe not. Maybe the Classic could be at the new Vikings stadium – ha…

by HonorableH on Jan 4, 2012 3:06 PM CST up reply actions

Nope

Was at that Vikes game. Not a beer sold, and my Flask ran out far to quickly.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 4, 2012 3:13 PM CST up reply actions

My guess is, by the time there is a Winter Classic here, the Vikes will have their new building, and it will be played there. Football stadiums have better sight lines for a hockey game. TCF cannot sell beer, something the NHL is not going to agree to.

Editor:Hockey Wilderness Editor:In Lax We Trust Now with more Twitterness: ReynoldsSBN

Master of unsustainable passive regression.

by BReynolds on Jan 4, 2012 3:20 PM CST up reply actions

Unless the Vikes agree to end the season with a pair of road games, I’m not sure how that would be possible. Doesn’t it take them a week to get the ice ready?

Not to mention if the Vikes were to host a playoff game the following week thats a lot of change over in a couple days… Oh wait, talking about the Vikes. NM on the playoffs part

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 4, 2012 3:29 PM CST up reply actions

NM

I see they have done it at football fields before, for some reason i was thinking all other games were at baseball stadiums for this very reason.

by ThatGuy22 on Jan 4, 2012 3:32 PM CST up reply actions

If a rivalry builds...

St. Louis could be a really awesome opponent.

"You don't understand anything, man. Leave your STUPID comments in your POCKET!"

Read my lame Minnesota Wild blog at lemairestrap.wordpress.com

by Georgie Fruit on Jan 4, 2012 7:41 PM CST up reply actions

They are pretty confident over at Nucks Misconduct today

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 1:44 PM CST reply actions

Good

It will be that much more glorious when Heater has a hattrick and Kaptain Koivu has a 5 pt night

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Jan 4, 2012 1:57 PM CST up reply actions

You must be playing the Canucks in NHL '12 tonight . . . .

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

I drank a tall glass of watermelon kool-aid today

2010-2011 Minnesota Wild Fantasy League Champion
President/CEO of the Tutu Many Slapshots fantasy hockey club

by Chris Winner on Jan 4, 2012 9:58 PM CST up reply actions

Finally benched Staubitz for tonight it sounds.

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 2:32 PM CST reply actions

Did anyone else see the video of the Flyers fans beating up the Rangers fan?

I read the story over at Broad Street Hockey, they got the video off Barstool Sports Philly and told people not to go there and read the post or the comments. The fine proprietor of that site DEFENDED the Flyers fans for beating up the Ranger fan saying he must have been talking smack and deserved it. UNBELIEVABLE

by cgp711 on Jan 4, 2012 3:07 PM CST reply actions

Classy stuff

You know you're a Wild fan if Spam Whoopie Gerald-buns comes up in conversation
Regressing all the way back to high school hockey.
Mikael Granlund = Suomi Savior

by JDesthubert on Jan 4, 2012 3:21 PM CST up reply actions