Since the 2012-13 season, the Minnesota Wild have been almost a perennial playoff team. However,…read morethe Wild have routinely lost in the first or qualifying rounds. They've yet to get over the hump and make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The closest the team got was in 2003. That year, they got swept by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now the Anaheim Ducks), 4-0, in the Western Conference Finals. That said, all things considered, the Wild haven't done bad considering they're one of the NHL's youngest teams (founded in 2000). Only the Vegas Golden Knights (2017) and Seattle Kraken (2021) are newer. The Wild play at Xcel Energy Center, located in the Northwestern Precinct of Downtown St. Paul. The arena is referred to as "The X" and it opened in 2000. It was built specifically so St. Paul could get an NHL team. With a seating capacity of about 18,000, the X is in-line with most other NHL venues (15-20k seats). In team history, former Wild players Mikko Koivu and Marian Gaborik are probably the most well-known as both are ranked in the top two in terms of total points and goals scored. Koivu, who is from Finland, has also recorded the most games for the Wild at an even 1,000. Today, the Wild's best-known players are left-winger Zach Parise and defensemen Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. Parise and Suter were both members of the silver-medal-winning US hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver (Suter's dad was on the famous 1980 team that beat the Soviet Union). Since joining the team in 2012, both Parise and Suter have been key cogs in the Wild's consistent run of playoff appearances. Currently, both are alternate captains. Spurgeon first signed with the Wild earlier, in 2010, and recently signed a $53 million extension that will see him in Minnesota through the 2026-27 season. He and fellow defenseman Jonas Brodin are presently locked up the longest, contract-wise. The four aforementioned players are among the team's highest-paid at this time.

If you have been reading my reviews for a while, you know that I lived in Rochester, MN for two…read moreyears. My first year as a Minnesotan was the Minnesota Wild's inaugural year. As a result, I have a soft spot for this team. I got cable TV when I first settled in my apartment. However, I wasn't getting a ton of NHL hockey games. I was a huge hockey fan back then. I put the FAN in FANatic. I ended up changing my cable plan to basic and got the NHL game package with DIRECTV, which wasn't AT&T back then, but is now. The guy over the phone was saying that I get NFL games with my base package, which was probably a decent selling point to most Americans. I remember saying to him, "I don't care about football. I need hockey games!" Anyway, I was pleased watching local Wild games on the lone, local FOX channel whenever they were available, and all the away games on DIRECTV. Anyone remember Mike Goldberg, one of the play-by-play Wild hockey announcers on FOX? He always pronounced the last syllable of every word. Some examples: "Hi, I'm Mike Goldber-guh." "Goal by Gabori-k!" "Dow-d is in the faceoff circle." I understood the pain of losing an NHL team and getting it back. I went through it with the Winnipeg Jets. Minnesota lost its Stars team, which ended up in Dallas. When Minnesota got the Wild as its new NHL team, you knew it was the right decision. Minnesotans are diehard hockey fans. They are passionate and breathe hockey. The fanbase is loyal and strong to this day. The team's tagline is fitting and meaningful: Our state. Our team. Our ice. I couldn't get a ticket to see a game at the Xcel Energy Center as a resident of the state. I ended up putting a deposit on season tickets and returned to Canada, forgetting about this deposit for eons... until now. I recently got a game pack and went to my first Wild game. Miracles happen! The Wild have struggled to make it into the playoffs. I hope that they will someday as they continue getting the right mix of players. This year's team has a good mix of experience and talent. I am pleased to support the Wild. Xcel Energy Center is a great place to take in a hockey game. There isn't a bad seat in the house. It's fun and exciting! The food is decent. I can't wait to return soon to take in another game. Go, Wild! (425)

Love watching a Saints game at CHS Field. There is an onsite museum that gives you a background on…read morethe history of baseball in MN which is something I enjoyed. Great food and drink options! Parking is easy in the lot close to the field, but does come at a cost.

Fun baseball watching close up. This is AAA ball! Some of these guys will be in the majors soon…read more This compact stadium gets you much closer to the action than the cross town Twins game will. I watched players interacting with the kids. Mascots and crazy contests between innings. It's minor league ball the way we want it to be. For daytime games most seats are in direct sunlight except behind the plate. All around great time!

Super fun time! Haven't been in a couple years so it was nice to be back and watch! Sat on the…read morefloor for the first time but I think the upper level gives a better view. Merch selection is pretty good and the halftime entertainment is fun and kid friendly. Exciting and budget friendly activity in the Twin Cities!

There's no doubt the MN Roller Girls are a five star group, even if I have a few minor quibbles…read morewith my night out. I really think pretty much everyone in Minnesota should at tend at least once. They do a good job of explaining the rules so first timers know what is going on. *Five stars for being a first class organization, good for families, supportive of lots of cool community stuff (like the Anne Bancroft Foundation and Project for Pride in Living) *Five stars for showcasing quality woman athletes of all sizes. *Five stars for the live band dance party during halftime. *Five stars for $11 tickets plus kids 9 and under are FREE. *Five stars for beer. (Ok, I'm not a big beer drinker, but I fully support beer sales at any event. I just do. The rest of the concessions were just a bit above average in the pricey but tasty popcorn style) (I brought in my own water and snacks, they were checking bags but not closely.) But. BUT. And I wouldn't dare take away a star, but I'm old. And my kids are young. Could you turn down the volume just a tad so I can have a conversation that doesn't involve yelling?. And maybe start the main bout just a half hour earlier? I don't mean to nit pick, and I didn't for one second think about taking away a star.

When you look at all-time MLS tables, Minnesota United FC stands in the bottom third of the…read moreleague's 30 teams. That said, Minnesota is also a relatively-new MLS team. The team's first season was in 2017. I think the team has gradually improved since that time, finishing in the semifinals in both the 2020 MLS is Back Tournament and the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs. Minnesota's 2020 team lost, 3-2, to the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Finals. Despite not making it to the final game, Minnesota's Kevin Molino ended up as the top goalscorer in the 2020 playoffs with 4 goals. Christian Ramirez is the team's all-time top goalscorer with 74 goals scored during his time with the team from 2014 to 2018. However, most of those goals were scored during Minnesota's time in the North American Soccer League (NASL), not MLS. If you count MLS-era goals only, Darwin Quintero owns the team record with 27 goals scored between 2018 and 2019. Robin Lod and Emmanuel Reynoso are the guys to keep your eyes on these days. And speaking of the MLS era, Adrian Heath, who came over from Orlando City SC, has been the team's coach every season so far. Good for the Loons for sticking by Heath for five seasons now. Since the stadium's opening in 2019 (Minnesota's third season), the team has played in Allianz Field in downtown St. Paul. Allianz Field was designed specifically for Minnesota United. Similar to my favorite MLS team, Atlanta United, Minnesota United spent some time in a college football stadium while its current stadium was being built. In Minnesota's case, the team spent its first two seasons calling TCF Bank Stadium, now known as Huntington Bank Stadium, home. Huntington Bank Stadium is the home field of the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. Visit the following link to see a map of parking options around Allianz Stadium (card only, cash not accepted): https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/minnesota-united-fc-golden-valley?select=6aDUGw6MY9L_zGRJ7zNoQA. You can purchase single-game parking passes up to 3 hours before kickoff of any Minnesota United game via SeatGeek: https://seatgeek.com/minnesota-united-fc-tickets/parking.

This review is solely based off of picking up a prize pack that I won via Yelp. Ironically, it…read moreappears the sales team sits in Golden Valley when the matches are played in Saint Paul. Regardless, the parking lot is massive and shared with other businesses in the area. The entire building felt fresh and clean and I even experienced cleaners vacuuming the elevator as I arrived. While I am not 100% sure what all happens in this space, I am vouching that it really gave off great fan engagement solely based on the sweet MNUFC marketing across the walls. There is a front desk and if you ring the bell, an admin will greet you to get you what you seek.

WHAT the hell are GM Rod and HC Kevin thinking. How in the hell can you pass on a Minnesota native…read moreEmmit Johnson for a FB/blocking tight end. The Chiefs must have pissed in their pants with "glee". Thshould be an eye opener for the Vikings owners. They have two people in their organization that should not be in the positions to make decisions like these. The two idiots should have flipped their two picks and hit a two run home run. I have been a Viking Fan all my life. I am so tired of these stupid decisions. The Vikings organization do not deserve the fan base they have. I know it would never happen but the fans should boycott one season to send a strong message. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH of this kind of BULL SHIT!

Great stadium. Easy access. Great food and drink selections…read more Seats could be a bit better for the price paid. Basic hard plastic that Shakes when crowd claps. SMH

I typically get to 1-2 games a season and am never disappointed. The fans are die-hard. They love…read moretheir team and cheer loudly and proudly which makes for a fun atmosphere. I recently was at the game where they retired Rebekkah Brunson's jersey. The ceremony was well done. They clearly care about each other as people and teammates. The basketball talent is outstanding. Coaching is top notch. Definitely worth the price of admission. Go check them out!

booo. Love my Lynx. Customer service and my sales rep have been, and continue to be, highly sub…read morepar. Communication is highly lacking and, when my rep does communicate, he acts put out. it's really disappointing. I will keep coming back because I love the team. The reps need Vheryl to coach them up.

Took a curling class here and had a ball! Such sweet and wonderful folks, I loved it!read more

We are just starting our third season with the curling club in the novice division. They have…read moredownsized somewhat after COVID, mostly in the socializing area but there is still more than enough space to converse and get ready for your match. The ice is well maintained and COVID protocols are in place for cleaning used equipment after the match. The organizers have done a great job to manage through a difficult time. Equipment has been upgraded. Our league night had all spots on the ice full and it was fun to get out and do something different.