The NHL has now entered its second straight week of no games as the Olympics continue towards awarding the gold medal at the end of this week. There will be a change, however, as NHL teams will get back to practicing, and that includes the Minnesota Wild, who will take the ice for practice on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
The Olympics are moving fast, and players like Matt Boldy and Quinn Hughes have shone along with several others, and before we know it, the NHL will be back and racing towards the postseason. With no games this week, here are a few storylines to follow for the week of Feb. 16 – Feb. 23.
Wild’s ‘Hockey Without Limits Camp’
The Wild will officially begin practicing on Wednesday, but some of their players will be back on the ice for the ‘Hockey Without Limits Camp’ on Monday morning, Feb. 16. It will take place in Roseville, Minnesota, at the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval, which is an outdoor rink located 20 minutes north of Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul.
Former Wild defenseman and fan favorite Matt Dumba created the camp to help more local children get into the sport of hockey and focus on getting more inclusivity and diversity in the game. This will be the sixth time the Wild have hosted the camp, and in the past, it’s been a great time for all involved and a chance to bring more children to the game of hockey.
Wild Back to Practice
Following the camp, the Wild will be back to practice on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at least everyone except their Olympians, who won’t be quite finished in Italy, especially Boldy, Hughes, and Brock Faber, who have a solid chance to play for gold. They’ll also practice on Thursday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 22. It’ll give everyone else a chance to get back on their skates and shake off any small bit of rust that may have gathered during their time off.
It wasn’t very long that they had off, and it’s expected they continued to skate on their own, but if any players didn’t, they’ll get a bit of time to adjust back before their Olympic teammates come back home, who’ve been skating more consistently. They’ll also be without their head coach, John Hynes, as he’s an assistant coach with Team USA, but they have capable assistant coaches who will get the team ready for when everyone returns.
Wild’s Olympians Move Ahead
Now that the preliminary rounds are over, the qualifying playoffs can begin. The Wild do have three players who’ve already advanced to the quarterfinals with Team USA, which means they have a bye and don’t have to play in the qualifying playoffs. However, Sweden and Germany have to win their way in, and if Sweden wins, then they’ll face USA in the quarterfinals, and Wild teammates will have to faceoff against each other once again.
Related: Wild Fans Can Be Concerned About Possible Olympic Injuries
It’ll be interesting to see how the qualifying playoffs play out and which Wild players will make their way to the quarterfinals and possibly further in pursuit of a gold medal. Canada has made it pretty clear they’re the team to beat, but USA, with their Wild talent, can rival them. Hopefully, several Wild players will come home with a medal and be ready to get back at it for the NHL postseason as well.
