Minnesota Wild

Xcel Energy Center holds about 17,954 for hockey and sits in downtown St. Paul directly across the river from Minneapolis. Minnesota has the highest per-capita hockey participation rate in the United States and the fan base at Xcel Energy Center reflects that - knowledgeable, winter-acclimated, and genuinely invested in the sport beyond just the professional franchise. The Wild replaced the Minnesota North Stars, who relocated to Dallas in 1993, and the return of NHL hockey to the state in 2000 was treated as a civic restoration project.

West 7th Street between downtown St. Paul and the arena is the natural pregame corridor. The taprooms and bars along W 7th and in the surrounding blocks handle the game-night crowd well. Summit Brewing's tap room is a legitimate stop if you want Minnesota craft beer with your pregame. Mickey's Diner on 9th Street has been a St. Paul institution since 1939 and operates 24 hours - not a pregame bar, but worth knowing about for after the game. The arena is walkable from downtown St. Paul hotels and accessible by light rail from Minneapolis.

The North Stars nostalgia never entirely went away and the Wild occasionally acknowledge it obliquely, but the franchise has built its own identity in the decades since returning. Playoff runs at Xcel Energy Center produce some of the louder environments in the Western Conference.

Check Wild tickets through Evil Tickets and see what home games fit your winter calendar at Xcel Energy Center.