ST PAUL, Minn. — One the eve of the NHL Draft, the league released its regular-season schedule and the Minnesota Wild will open it up with four games at the Xcel Energy Center.
The Wild's season will begin Thursday, Oct. 13 as hosts to the New York Rangers. The team's first homestand will also include a meeting with the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche — one of three games with the reigning champs.
The schedule is made up of 26 games against Central Division opponents, 24 contests with Pacific Division teams and a pair of meetings with each team in the Eastern Conference.
For more information about the schedule, visit the team's website. Ticket information will be announced at a later date.
Earlier this week, the Wild announced their preseason schedule, which will begin Sept. 25 against the Avalanche.
The Wild are coming off a disappointing first-round exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs, but they've been active since the start of their offseason. The team reached a contract extension with 23-year-old forward Connor Dewar and traded forward Kevin Fiala for a first-round pick in Thursday's NHL Draft and prospect Brock Faber, who was recently named a captain for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
On Wednesday, the Wild also announced they reached a deal to keep defenseman Jacob Middleton for three more years. Team officials say the three-year deal is worth $7.35 million.
Middleton joined the Wild back in March after a trade with the San Jose Sharks. Playing primarily with captain Jared Spurgeon, Middleton had five points and a plus-7 rating in 21 regular-season games. He also had one assist in their playoff series against the St. Louis Blues.
The Wild have two first-round picks in Thursday's draft, as they now possess the Kings' No. 19 pick and their own pick at No. 24. In total, Minnesota has eight picks in the draft including four selections in the first two rounds.
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