Minnesota Wild Coming from an Up and Going Down in the Last Part of the 2015-16 Season & a Preview of the Next Season

 “We had the best [first half] in franchise history and things never felt right," Mike Yeo, ex head coach of the Minnesota Wild states when talking to the Star Tribune in two different articles where he was interviewed after his firing (1, 2). 

Mike Yeo getting fired, might have seem liked an escape goat. In a way yes, because the team was on an eight game loosing streak when Yeo got fired on Valentine's Day eve. As Yeo said in his interview with Michael Russo, there was more too it than just him being fired. In this article shows what it looked liked during that time. I personally feel like it's not my place to point fingers, but I feel like this could have been found in the locker room. As in what Yeo was talking about in the interview with Russo: where there was a divide between the older and younger players. If these guys can get over their egos, or whatever is causing this, hopefully the trade rumors. Those are thankfully over, for now. So hopefully everyone can go back to being one team that they should be. Like I said before, I was not in the locker room, so I do not know, and cannot go around pointing fingers at anyone. I believe, that they are at the point again, once the next season begins in next September, they can become one and start winning games and having a successful season that they deserve.

Minnesota Wild hosted their first outdoor game at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cites at TCF Stadium in Minneapolis. The NHL does an outdoor game every year during new years, and then have two or three during the winter. The Wild played against the Chicago Blackhawks and dominated. With a whooping score of 6-1! Once the Minnesota Wild started scoring, they couldn't stop. Something lit up inside of them, and they started playing like everyone knew they could. Possibly taking the game where it should be, outdoors, had something to do with it. Hopefully, there are more of these to come in the Minnesota Wild future (home or away) and hopefully more outdoor NHL games that are in the State of Hockey, where they should be.

 

Thomas Vanek (26) high fives Jason Pomniville (29) while Mikael Granlund

(64) skates up to celebrate with his teammates during the outdoor game.

This was Devan Dubnyk's first time ever attending to an NHL All Star Weekend. This year's was located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was a new format this year for the All Star game. Instead of the normal five on five it was a three on three play. It was also to help show how three on three overtime can improve the game in the NHL. I however personally, is not a big fan of it. The goal is to cut down and the number of shootouts during the regular season. Since Dubnyk did so well coming on to the Wild team last year, and saving the season while doing very well since then, he rightfully deserved a spot in attending the All Star Weekend.

Devan Dubnyk with son (right) who is high fiving Dierks Bentley's son (left)

during the All Star Weekend. Bentley (a country singer) was one of the

celebrity coaches during the weekend.

Minnesota Wild had an undefeated season against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild has been the second team to sweep the Blackhawks in a season, the last time that happened was during the 1938-39 season and it was the Boston Bruins who beat the Blackhawks. Also the Wild are the third team in NHL to win a streak like this against an Stanley Cup raining champion. The Wild has been kicked out of the playoffs by the Blackhawks in the past three years. It was sweet to see the Wild take action, and sweep the Blackhawks in the regular season. That still does not make up for these past three years. But one year in the playoffs it will be pretty sweet to see the Wild sweep the Blackhawks like they did to the Wild in the 2015 playoffs. Matt Dumba, could not have said it better: "Just preparing for each night, just one shift at a time, one period at a time..." in one of Michael Russo's blog posts regarding the season sweep against the Blackhawks.

Zach Parise really injuring himself. Parise being questionable to play in the playoffs and for the rest of the season. He did not have back surgery. So just led him to rehab and getting better to play again in September in the World Cup and also in the beginning of the NHL season that is starting in October.

A month or so before the playoffs goalie Niklas Bäckström got traded to the Calgary Flames from the Minnesota Wild. Bäckström has been with the Wild for ten years, he started his NHL career in the 2006-07 season with them. This then left Darcy Kuemper and Devan Dubnyk to play goalie throughout the rest of the season. It was good for Bäckström to get out of Minnesota because he was not playing during the season. This may have been his last season in the NHL, rumors have been going around about him thinking of retiring. So, he left because he wanted to play, instead of playing the role of Janny (Steve Janaszak, nickname is Janny, who was a goalie that had not played at all during the 1980 Olympics tournament during with the Miracle on Ice team. He supported them through out the tournament.). Bäckström stood by the team during the whole season, cheered them on and was a good sport about it. But he wanted to play during his possible last season in the NHL. He was tired of standing around and doing nothing he wanted to play.

Niklas Bäckström meeting up with his ex-teammates during a 

practice after he got traded to the Calgary Flames.

Dubnyk and Kuemper where left to play goalie for the remaining part of the season. From what I can remember Dubnyk was playing the majority of the games and I don't remember seeing if Kuemper was ever in net. He did play in goal around March 18th though, where he ended up getting an upper-body injury which made the Wild ending up getting a goalie from their AHL team. By the end of the season Dubnyk was playing alright, but not up the standards that where set for him, by fans and journalists. Not sure, what the coaching staff thought, but from the way it looked from my stand point, he could have played better. Through the end of the season, and the off season there has rumors been going around about reasons why Kuemper should be traded. I personally did not agree with these, I personally think a NHL team needs three goalies. For many reasons, one is they are human, they get sick, they get injured and sometimes other personal issues keep people from doing their jobs. So you need three in case something comes up. This July Kuemper signed a one year contract with the Wild and the Wild required Alex Stalock for one year. This personally baffles me if they keep on treating the goaltenders how they played their best goaltender all the time and let the other two sit on their butts and be two Jannys. That how things should not work. If you can play and stop pucks and help win games, you can play. If your not able to do your job during games, work it out during practice to earn your playing time. I personally do not know what they do in the Minnesota Wild goaltending system, but whatever they are doing, they should improve it.

Only round one in the playoffs. Also questionable if the Wild where even to get into the play offs as well. They where playing horribly at the end of the season.

But once they got into the playoffs they where playing the Dallas Stars. Who used to be the Minnesota North Stars, so that was a hard one to watch for any Minnesotain hockey fan. Just the whole North Stars being sold to Dallas, some of us are still not over that. So this one was just hard to watch, and also a hard one to lose. Why? There was a questionable goal in game in game six. The game was about to be tied, if it was called a goal. The Stanley Cup playoffs would have been a whole different story than it was this year, if the referees called that one a goal. Who knows what would have had happened.  Maybe the Wild would have won the series, and would have gone on and won their first Stanley Cup. Who knows.

Recap of game six of the Minnesota Wild vs Dallas Stars

series. The "goal", the controversial goal is at the end.

I personally, think it was a goal. I don't understand, how the

puck went over the line and still not a goal. What do you think? 

Bruce Boudreau was named the new Minnesota Wild head coach. Boudreau was coaching for the Anaheim Ducks (2011-12 - 2016) and the Washington Capitols (2007 - 2011-12). I am not sure how I feel about Boudreau being hired. Really, I feel like it is not the best fit for the Wild.

The Minnesota Wild picked first overall the number 15th pick, Luke Kunin of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, Badgers. This one stuck with me because, I am proud of Kunin. I have seen him play on the U-18 USA hockey team when they played against the Badgers in the 2014-15 season. Then I saw him in his freshmen year this season. He is a amazing player. I am glad finally another Wisconsin Badger is joining Ryan Suter on the Wild. Kunin is sticking around in the Minnesota-Wisconsin area. I would not have it any other way. I cannot wait for Kunin to sign with the Wild and to eventually play with them during his NHL career. Luke, the future has great things coming for you, I cannot wait to see you develop as a player and a person.

Luke Kunin with a Minnesota Wild jersey on during a photoshoot.

The Eric Staal trade, was a bit different than one would think. Zach Parise helped recruit Staal. With the lack of centers that the Wild find themselves in now. With Mikael Granlund switching to play wing on the Mikko Kuvio line. The Wild is in need for a center, and this is where Parise reached out to Staal about. Staal signed the contract on July first.

 Newly signed Eric Staal during a press conference.

Even though this season did not end as great as it had started. The 2016-17 season will be one that will be started with a new coach, and a new leaf. Hopefully, this divide in the team will go away, and everyone can work together as one. Hopefully, we can get over this, and win the first Stanley Cup in the teams history.

RIDE THE BUS!

Most of my found memories of the Walt Disney World College Programs are on the bus heading to work, to have fun in the parks and mainly to go shopping in Walmart.

The majority of the interns use the bus to get around as transportation. Some people do bring their cars from home, but the majority of us (the interns) use/used the buses to get around. The main reason was because there are a bunch of other interns who are from different countries. They are not able to bring their cars with them. But some international interns do manage to rent a car during their year stay there.

One of my friend who worked in the France pavilion in Epcot in 2010 (who is still working there now) rented a car during his year program. I remember him giving us rides home from work when we where waiting for the bus. Also he would also ride the bus with us home sometimes too, because he did not want to use the car all the time. I also had a roommate who had her car actually die during her program, that poor jeep was on the last leg of it's life.

 

Silly times in 2012, when riding the bus. Two of 

some of my good friends from France. 

Everyone basically rides the buses. It is one of the social events of the program. I remember meeting some of my best friends on the bus on the way to work. Everyone at the one location they work at is like a family, due to the bus. There is always the bus stop that everyone goes to be picked up from work or just doing other things. Riding the Walmart bus was an one hour round trip. That again where a lot of other bonding happened. During your program you can easily spot who are the newbies, easily. Because they are on there with their roommates on their first night making their first Walmart runs to get the finishing touches of stuff they need for their apartment. But there where also people who have been on the program for longer who still make friends with people on the Walmart bus.

One of the things I loved about working in Epcot was there was a designated bus stop for all of us interns. It was in the cast member parking lot, right next to the cast member services building. You got to talk to people who you work with everyday. Seeing how their day is going and etc. The Epcot bus is always an interesting bus to be on because you have these people who are from Europe or across the world. When you'd be getting off around 11 at night or around 1:30 AM someone would be calling their loved ones who lived in France, Germany, Italy or somewhere else. It was interesting to think about because calling my parents when I got off work would be a little rude because they'd be sleeping. You would always see the people who would be from Canada, Mexico or the US would be calling their loved ones on the way to work. But when I would witness someone calling home in Europe, I knew they where homesick, which made me homesick.

There where nights where we all had to stay late due to Extra Magic Hours and also holidays. So one night when it was the extra hours we where going home on the bus and some girl from Japan or China fell asleep on my shoulder. It was probably spring break when we where working 50 to 60 hour weeks. We where all very tired, and also the extended hours had doubled their days. Epcot had theirs on Tuesdays and Thursdays nights.  I remember thinking, this is probably one of the oddest memories I will have on one of these buses. Another memory involving sleeping would be having to wake up one of my co-workers because he fell asleep on the bus we. We did not want him to end up go around and around and wake up and wondering where the heck he is or have the bus driver to wake him up.

 

This was my last month of the program. Everyone's was 

coming to an end. So the girl in the gray shirt whose the thrid

to the left we spent our day off saying goodbye to her and others. 

It was a very very very fun day that I will never forget. (2010)

The American Coach buses that Disney rents out for their interns get used a lot. So they don't have that many, they use about I want to say around 40 buses. Not sure. But I remember a bunch of times where I am riding the buses for fun, or to or from work and they broke down. Riding the buses all the time you get used to the sounds they make before they break down. I remember having a few close calls where we could tell the buses where getting worn down. I remember one breaking down and where on on the side of the highway. So we where awkwardly waiting for another one to pick us up. I remember having a little party in the back with few of the other interns I made quick friends with. Also there where times where it broke down and I was outside my workplace. We called to let management know that we where on that awkwardly broken down American Coach bus outside of Downtown Disney during my 2012 internship. About half the people I worked with where stuck on that bus with me.

Sometimes it takes forever for some buses to come to pick you up from a work location. Because you have to call and say, you are working here and you need to be picked up. That happened to us a lot when we worked at the ESPN Sports Complex. It was not a very popular spot for the College Program or other Disney Program interns to work so you had to request a bus. It was not like a park where they had buses running constantly through the day and night. So once and a bunch of my fellow co-workers had to wait for a bus to come and pick us up during our month stent at ESPN. So while we where waiting we swear, all of us to god, that there was a black panther in the bushes behind us. We ran from the bus stop benches and across into the grassy island area of the parking lot. It took a good while to calm ourselves down. We where all pretty tired at this point, we all got off at 2:30 in the morning and it was pushing three! Also the fact that some of us had to be to work the next day at an bright hour of eight in the morning. That was the strangest work schedule I ever had.

If you are interested in doing the program, or already signed up. Here is some advice for you. If you are taking a car, feel use the bus too. I am assuming you will be using the bus at sometime during your program, it will be smart on your first day to go over to the bus stop in your apartment complex and get one of the bus schedules. Those will help you out so much. Grab more than one, and post one of them in the common area of your apartment. This will help everyone greatly, even your guests who are on the internship too. Also memorize your work bus schedule, it will help you out majorly! They do change up the bus schedules every three months so keep your eyes and ears out for people talking about a new bus schedules. There also will be emails from the programs office to let you know too.

 

Brandon from Canada, the Epcot Bus King!

"Don't open that!" I remember the bus driver yelling. 

"It's not open.." I remember Brandon replying. 

We all had a good laugh about that. (2010)