Editing Minnesota Wild (section)

===Preparations of a new franchise===
Following the departure of the [[Minnesota North Stars]] after the [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93 season]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Minnesota North Stars (1967-1993) |url=https://history.vintagemnhockey.com/page/show/815245-minnesota-north-stars-1967-1993- |website=history.vintagemnhockey.com |access-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-date=May 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210514073317/https://history.vintagemnhockey.com/page/show/815245-minnesota-north-stars-1967-1993- |url-status=live}}</ref> the state of [[Minnesota]] was without an NHL team for seven seasons. [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]] mayor (and future U.S. Senator) [[Norm Coleman]] began a campaign to either recruit an existing franchise to the city or an expansion franchise to a Minnesota-based ownership group. These efforts came close to success in the mid-1990s when Minnesota interests purchased the [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|original Winnipeg Jets]] intending to relocate the franchise to Minnesota; however, arena negotiations at the [[Target Center]] fell through, and the Jets instead [[Phoenix Coyotes|relocated to Phoenix, Arizona]].

Following the failed attempt to relocate the Jets, the NHL announced its intention to expand from 26 to 30 teams. Businessman and [[Minnetonka, Minnesota|Minnetonka]] native [[Bob Naegele, Jr.]] became the lead investor for an application to the NHL for an expansion franchise and, ultimately, the first majority owner. On June 25, 1997, the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) announced that [[Minnesota]] had been awarded an expansion franchise, to begin play in the [[2000–01 NHL season|2000–01 season]]. The six finalist team names for the new NHL franchise (Blue Ox, Freeze, Northern Lights, Voyageurs, White Bears, and Wild), were announced on November 20, 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fans.nhl.com/members/Ninh/blogs/3925|title=Origins of the 30 NHL Teams|website=National Hockey League|access-date=April 26, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080408030257/http://fans.nhl.com/members/Ninh/blogs/3925 <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date =April 8, 2008}}</ref> Jac Sperling was named [[chief executive officer]] of the Minnesota team,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wild.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tea_Sperling|title=Jack Sperling Bio|website=National Hockey League|access-date=April 26, 2008|year=2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108111626/http://wild.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tea_Sperling|archive-date=January 8, 2008}}</ref> [[Doug Risebrough]] was named general manager, [[Tod Leiweke]] was named president, and Martha Fuller was named [[chief financial officer]].

The team was officially named the Wild at an unveiling at the Aldrich Arena on January 22, 1998, with the song "[[Born to Be Wild]]" by [[Steppenwolf (band)|Steppenwolf]] playing over the arena's speaker system. The Minnesota Wild announced its first major sponsorship agreement with [[MasterCard]] from [[First USA]]. It was the earliest that First USA had ever signed an agreement before a team began play (31 months). The State of Minnesota adopted legislation in April 1998 to loan $65&nbsp;million to the City of Saint Paul to fund 50% of the estimated $130&nbsp;million project costs for the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul. The legislation also provided that only $48&nbsp;million of the loan needed to be repaid if the team met the requirements to have an agreement in place during the lease term with the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission. The City of Saint Paul issued an additional $65&nbsp;million in bonds, with roughly 90% of the debt service on the bonds and the repayment of the state loan coming from scheduled rent and payment instead of taxes from the Minnesota Wild. Deconstruction of the [[Saint Paul Civic Center]] began soon after. Designs were announced for the [[Xcel Energy Center]] and a groundbreaking ceremony for the Xcel Energy Center was hosted in Saint Paul.

The Minnesota Wild announced a 26-year partnership agreement with the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission (MASC). The Minnesota Wild-MASC partnership is the first partnership of its kind between a private professional sports team and a public amateur sports organization. Doug Risebrough was named executive vice president/general manager of Minnesota Wild<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wild.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tea_Risebrough |title=Risebrough's Bio |website=National Hockey League |access-date=April 26, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006195537/http://wild.nhl.com/team/app?service=page&page=NHLPage&bcid=tea_Risebrough |archive-date=October 6, 2008}}</ref> and the [[Xcel Energy Center]] was completed and ready for use.