Minnesota Wild Return to Duluth for Practice Session at Amsoil Arena

Nearly 1,000 fans packed Amsoil Arena to watch their favorite Wild players on the ice.

DULUTH, Minn. – Tuesday, the UMD Bulldogs hosted a very special guest at Amsoil Arena. The Minnesota Wild were in town for a practice session that was open to the public to allow fans to come and watch their favorite players.

It was a day Northland hockey fans had circled on their calendar since it was announced last month as the Wild held one of their final practices before the start of their season.

Nearly 1,000 fans packed Amsoil Arena to watch their favorite Wild players on the ice. And for some of the kids, it was worth being allowed to skip school for the day to see guys like team captain Jared Spurgeon and 2021 Calder Trophy winner Kirill Kaprizov.

This is the fifth time that the Wild have visited the Twin Ports and the first since 2016. Organizers say the turnout shows how big of a following the team has in the northern part of the state.

“I imagine that it’s really meaningful to watch this team on television and then come see them live and know they’re going into this great season. It’s going to make watching this season so much more interesting for them,” said DECC Director of Communications Lucie Amundsen.

A few of the Wild players also signed several items for fans long after practice ended.