Minnesota Wild Quarter-Century Teams unveiled

With 2025 underway, the NHL is celebrating the best of the past 25 years by revealing Quarter-Century Teams for each of the League's 32 franchises and the Arizona Coyotes.

Each club will be represented by a First Team and Second Team of six players -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- who played for the franchise after Jan. 1, 2000. The First and Second Teams were selected by broadcasters, national writers and local writers and NHL.com writers who have covered the respective teams, in addition to select former players.

The six players voted to each First Team will be on the ballot for the NHL All Quarter-Century Team that will be chosen via a fan vote that will start in February.

Today, the First and Second Quarter-Century Team for the Minnesota Wild. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

MINNESOTA WILD QUARTER CENTURY TEAMS

First Team

Forwards

Marian Gaborik

Kirill Kaprizov

Mikko Koivu

Defensemen

Jonas Brodin

Jared Spurgeon

Goalie

Niklas Backstrom

Forwards: Kaprizov has been a tremendous talent for the Wild, leading them with 50 points (23 goals, 27 assists) in 34 games this season. The 2021 Calder Trophy winner voted as the NHL rookie of the year has 380 points (183 goals, 197 assists) in 312 games and is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury (he last played Dec. 23). Gaborik, the first NHL Draft pick in team history when he was chosen No. 3 in 2000, played the first eight seasons of his NHL career for the Wild and had 437 points (219 goals, 218 assists) in 502 games. Koivu is the longest-tenured player among the quarter-century candidates (1,028 games) and leads the franchise with 709 points (205 goals, 504 assists).

Defensemen: These two are current members of the Wild who have played their entire NHL careers for Minnesota. Brodin has 255 points (58 goals, 197 assists) in 833 games. Spurgeon, the longest-tenured defenseman among the Quarter-Century Teams players, has 397 points (114 goals, 283 assists) in 899 games. The captain has been out since Dec. 31, when he sustained a lower-body after being slew-footed by Nashville Predators forward Zachary L'Heureux.

Goalie: Backstrom played nine of his 10 NHL seasons for the Wild, going 194-142-50 with a 2.48 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and 28 shutouts in 409 games (391 starts). He and Manny Fernandez won the 2006-07 William J. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals combined in the NHL that season (176).

Second Team

Forwards

Andrew Brunette

Joel Eriksson Ek

Zach Parise

Defensemen

Nick Schultz

Ryan Suter

Goalie

Devan Dubnyk

Forwards: Now coach of the Predators, Brunette had 321 points (119 goals, 202 assists) in 489 games over two stints with the Wild (2001-04 and 2008-11). Eriksson Ek, one of the best 200-foot players in the League today, has 287 points (128 goals, 159 assists) in 524 games. Parise played nine seasons in Minnesota and had 400 points (199 goals, 201 assists) in 558 games.

Defensemen: Schultz was the second NHL Draft pick in team history when he was taken in the second round (No. 33) in 2000. He had 128 points (26 goals, 102 assists) in 743 games. Suter played nine seasons for Minnesota and had 369 points (55 goals, 314 assists) in 656 games. He was a workhorse who averaged 27:02 of ice time per game.

Goalie: Dubnyk played six seasons for the Wild, going 177-113-28 with a 2.41 GAA, .918 save percentage and 23 shutouts in 328 games (321 starts). He won the 2015 Bill Masterton Trophy, voted as the player who best exemplified the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Coming Wednesday: Los Angeles Kings Quarter-Century Teams