ISSUE 2 • VOLUME 4 • FEBRUARY 2011

The Minnesota Wild game vs. the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, February 1st marked a great milestone; the 1,000th game for Andrew Brunette. Brunette started his first career game with the Washington Capitals on January 17, 1996. At the age of 37, he still dominates the area behind the opponent's net like no other, sets up goals with sensational passes and even throws in an age-defying set of "hops" every so often.

“Bruno” has been known for some very memorable moments on the ice. One of his greatest moments was the goal he scored to beat Colorado in game seven of the 2003 Western Conference quarterfinal. This moment was selected by Wild fans as the greatest moment in the Wild’s first 10 years of existence. 1,000 games is an amazing accomplishment, but to “Bruno” it’s just as important as the next game. "I can't believe how fast it

went," admitted Brunette the day before. "I still feel young, even though I'm getting up there. You think of the guys you're able to play with and I've been very fortunate to play with some great people along the way. Those are more of the thoughts I have as opposed to memories of actual games." Brunette can be seen on the ice for optional practices, where his dedication and work ethic are apparent. He's currently on pace to play all 82 NHL games for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. In addition to recognizing him during the game on February 1st, the Wild will honor Brunette for reaching the 1,000-game NHL milestone in a special pre-game ceremony on Wednesday, February. 9th when the Wild host the Colorado Avalanche at 7 p.m.

Brunette Reaches 1,000

RBC Practice Jerseys

The Minnesota Wild, RBC Wealth Management and Minnesota Hockey teamed up to offer fans the opportunity to own a piece of the Year 10

Team. Presented by RBC Wealth Management, Wild team practice jerseys were auctioned off with all proceeds going directly to Minnesota Hockey to benefit the Gear Up Minnesota! program. Winners were invited to a February 8th closed to the public Wild practice to meet the player whose jersey they won! Individuals were able to place bids on the practice jerseys of specific Wild players through the auction’s completion on January 31 through Wild.com. Minnesota Hockey, a USA Hockey affiliate, is the governing body of youth hockey in Minnesota and the premier developer of hockey players in the state. The auction ended up raising almost $8,000. All proceeds will go to the Gear Up Minnesota! program which provides equipment grants to hockey associations throughout Minnesota in an effort to minimize the expense of playing hockey and get more boys and girls involved in the game. RBC Wealth Management has a legacy of giving and for nearly a century they have played an active leadership role in the communities where they do business. One of RBC Wealth Management’s main areas of focus is on youth education, and in Minnesota especially, youth hockey programs go a long way towards providing character development, life-enhancing values, integrity and sportsmanship at a young age. In 2009 the firm gave approximately $4.1 million to charitable causes in communities in which it serves.

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Representing the Minnesota Wild during the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend, Brent Burns and Martin Havlat managed to secure a victory in the game on Sunday, January 30th. This was the second time in Minnesota Wild history that multiple Wild players were selected as all-stars. Traditionally, the All-Star Game has been a matchup of the East and West’s best players. This year’s game followed a new format, where captains selected their teams from a pool of All-Stars. Both Burns and Havlat were selected by Captain Nicklas Lidstrom. Team Lidstrom went on to win the game 11-10, with Havlat tallying three assists and Burns recording one assist. The weekend was a great one for Havlat and Burns, but it was even better for hockey fans and the NHL. A record number of fans

tuned in to watch this year’s All-Star Game. In the US, TV viewership rose 36 percent over the last All-Star game. Canadian

viewership increased by even more, with a 56 percent increase.

2011 All-Star Weekend

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For more information, click here.

Chris Tomlin – February 16th, 7:00 pm MSHSL Girls’ Hockey Tournament - February 23-26 MSHSL Wrestling Tournament – March 2-5 MSHSL Boys’ Hockey Tournament -March 9-12 Smucker’s Stars on Ice – March 13, 4:00 pm 2011 Red Baron WCHA Final Five– March 17-19 Kenny Chesney – March 25, 7:00 pm 2011 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four – April 7-9 Taylor Swift – June 14 & 15, 7:00 pm 2011 NHL Entry Draft – June 24-25 Katy Perry July 9, 2011 7:00 pm 2011 Visa Championships – August 17-20

Xcel Energy Center Upcoming Events

The Minnesota Wild participated in the National Hockey League wide Hockey for Huggies promotion at the game on Tuesday, February 1st at Xcel Energy Center,

with proceeds benefitting The Diaper Drive in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Wild was one of the first NHL teams to embrace the Hockey for Huggies campaign, which draws attention to the Every Little Bottom Initiative. The campaign launched January 28th, during NHL All-Star weekend. The Diaper Drive received a total of 9,230 diapers. Monetary donations totals for the night reached nearly $1,400. Thank you to all who made this event a huge success. If you weren't able to make it on February 1st, it’s not too late to donate! Through the month of February, feel free to text “Wild” to 501501 and $5 will be instantly donated to the Hockey for Huggies initiative.