🏟 Minnesota Wild — Key Facts
| Owner | Craig Leipold |
| Ownership Since | 2008 (purchased from original owner Bob Naegele Jr.) |
| League | NHL (National Hockey League) |
| Founded | 2000 (expansion team replacing the departed Minnesota North Stars) |
| Home Arena | Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Stanley Cup Wins | 0 (best seasons: multiple 100+ point campaigns; no Finals) |
| Craig Leipold Background | Co-founded Ameritas Life Partners; previously owned Nashville Predators |
The Minnesota Wild are owned by Craig Leipold, who purchased the franchise in 2008 from original owner Bob Naegele Jr. for approximately $260 million. Leipold is a Wisconsin businessman who co-founded Ameritas Life Partners, a financial services company, and previously owned the Nashville Predators (which he sold to purchase the Wild).
Who Is the Owner of the Minnesota Wild?
The Minnesota Wild are owned by Craig Leipold, who acquired the franchise from Bob Naegele Jr. in 2008. Leipold is a Wisconsin-born entrepreneur who made his money primarily through Ameritas Life Partners (insurance/financial services) and various business ventures. He previously owned the Nashville Predators (from the team’s founding in 1998 until 2007), selling that franchise to focus on acquiring a team in a stronger hockey market. Minnesota — the “State of Hockey” with the highest per-capita hockey participation in the US — represented a natural fit. Leipold operates the Wild through Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Iowa Wild (AHL affiliate).
Minnesota: The State of Hockey
Minnesota is uniquely hockey-obsessed among US states — the only state that legitimately claims the title “The State of Hockey.” The state has produced more NHL players per capita than any other, and high school hockey in Minnesota is a cultural institution, with the state tournament drawing 100,000+ spectators annually. The Minnesota Wild play at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul — one of the NHL’s best arenas — to consistently large crowds. The Wild also replaced the void left when the Minnesota North Stars departed for Dallas in 1993, returning NHL hockey to one of the sport’s natural heartlands.
The Wild’s Competitive Era and Kirill Kaprizov
Under Craig Leipold’s ownership, the Wild have been a consistently competitive but rarely transcendent franchise. They have posted multiple 100+ point seasons and made several deep playoff runs but have never reached the Stanley Cup Finals. The most exciting development under current ownership has been the emergence of Kirill Kaprizov — the Russian superstar who won the Calder Trophy (top rookie) in 2021 and has developed into one of the NHL’s most electrifying offensive players. Kaprizov’s partnership with Matt Boldy and a strong defensive core gives Minnesota legitimate championship aspirations heading into the late 2020s.
