I know a guy who knows a guy who knows Minnesota Wild owner Bob Naegele...well, previous Wild owner Bob Naegele and I just want to set the record straight for all of the Minnesota Wild sale conspiracy maniacs out there...Naegele didn’t sell the Wild because he thought things were going down hill or because he was in financial trouble or because he was sick of Minnesota politics or because the Wild aren’t capable of winning a Stanley Cup blah blah blah.
Bob Naegele sold the Minnesota Wild because (and this is a direct personal conversation quote, not a media statement) he believed that he had built a great product and had achieved his goal of greatness and he wants to spend more time and money on his grandkids. In fact he told the friend of the friend that he sold the Minnesota Wild so he could take his grandkids on some trips.
The word on the street is that Bob Naegele got a good price for the team. Let’s do the math - In November, Forbes Magazine estimated the Wild's worth at $180 million. Naegele paid an expansion fee of $80 million to buy the Wild in 1997 and chipped in another $45 million for Xcel Energy Center – total $125 . . .sells for $180, PROFIT $55 million. So if you are sailing the high seas and run into Bob Naegele don’t be afraid to ask him to buy you a drink!