Upcoming Minnesota Wild dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Wild seat to aim for in St. Paul
For a Minnesota Wild game, aim for the middle rows of a lower-bowl sideline section. Stadium reviewers single out the lower bowl of Grand Casino Arena (17,954 seats for hockey) as its strongest view, and its middle rows show breakouts and line changes while the glass stays below your sightline.
- For more Wild scoring chances: the lower-level end opposite section 101.
- For a high, comfortable angle: the club level.
- For value: low sideline rows of the upper level.
- For a sold-out game: a standing-room spot at a numbered rail.
The building took the Grand Casino Arena name in September 2025, so older maps and directions still say Xcel Energy Center.
Lower seating, club level and the upper ring
From the floor up: lower seats, then suites, then the club ring, then the upper seats.
Lower seating
The most sought-after seats for any game. Section 101, for example, runs to about 26 rows plus standing room, with row 1 on the glass, per one seating guide.
Club level
These seats come with entry to a private concourse, and their elevation is ideal for seeing a rush or a power play take shape.
Upper seating
Sightlines are good up here too. The lower sideline rows are the value buy; the top corner rows are the ones to drop if your budget stretches a little.
Standing room
Both bowls end in a standing-room ledge with numbered spots along a counter, which is often the only way in when every seat is gone.
Section 101, the far end and rows in the teens
- Section 101: seating guides put the visitors' two-period attack end here. That means the Wild shoot twice at the opposite end, and lower sections there are a favorite with fans who want Minnesota goals in front of them.
- Row 1: right against the glass, with all the noise that brings, though the curve of the glass warps what you see in the distant corners.
- Rows 10 to 19: above the glass line yet near enough to hear the play.
- Top upper-level corners: the weakest seats in the building.
Confirm the ends on the seating chart attached to your listing.
Stars, Blackhawks and the dates St. Paul fills
September brings exhibition games. Minnesota then hosts 41 of its 82 regular-season games between October and mid-April, with any playoff run lasting into June.
- Dallas: the Stars are the relocated North Stars, so the rivalry comes with history built in.
- Central Division opponents: Chicago, St. Louis and Winnipeg draw strong local demand and visiting jerseys.
- League showcases: an outdoor event like the Winter Classic of 2022 is sold separately and priced by the event, not the regular schedule.
- Friday, Saturday and the holiday break: these sell ahead of November and early-December weeknights.
- Home playoff games: gone quickly after the matchup is known.
Rivals and weekends reward buying early; weeknight games against Eastern Conference clubs leave the deepest selection.
Green Line to Central Station, ramps and mobile tickets
The arena is in downtown St. Paul and shares indoor links with Roy Wilkins Auditorium and the RiverCentre convention complex. For light rail, the team recommends the Green Line's Central Station, a few minutes away on foot and tied into the downtown skyways. Buses serve the arena too.
- Parking: two ramps, Kellogg and RiverCentre, attach to the complex, and the team takes advance bookings via ParkWhiz. Cheaper lots sit farther out.
- Tickets: phone only for 2026–27, held in the team's app.
- Bags: under the 2026 rules, a purse no bigger than 12 by 12 by 6 inches must use an X-ray lane; a wallet or clutch of about 4 by 6 by 1.5 inches can use any door. No backpacks, coolers or big totes.
- Doors: regular gates open an hour and 15 minutes ahead of puck drop, premium gates a little sooner.
Check the Wild game-day page before you go, since rules change. Reserved Seat orders carry no digital transfer fees.
High school jerseys, Nordy and the State of Hockey
Many fans in this building grew up playing the game, and the arena shows it. Jerseys from each of the state's boys and girls high school programs line the concourse, and every winter the state high school tournaments come here. The building's hockey crowd record, 21,609, was set at a 2015 tournament semifinal, not an NHL game. College hockey's Frozen Four has visited four times: 2002, 2011, 2018 and 2024.
Pregame, downtown St. Paul's bars, hotels and restaurants within a short walk do the business. The stands sell local food and drink, from sausages to Minnesota craft beer. Nordy has been the mascot since 2008. Number 1 is retired in honor of the fans and number 9 for Mikko Koivu, and the club's slogan for its home is the State of Hockey.
Seven seasons without hockey, then the Wild
When the North Stars left for Dallas in 1993, Minnesota spent seven seasons with no NHL team. The league awarded St. Paul a franchise on June 25, 1997; the Wild name was revealed on January 22, 1998. The logo reads as a forest scene and an animal's head at once, and its eye is a north star, a salute to the club that left. The arena, built where the St. Paul Civic Center once stood, opened September 29, 2000.
- October 2000: Marian Gaborik scored the first goal in the opener at Anaheim on October 6, and the first home game, on October 11, ended in a 3–3 tie with Philadelphia.
- 2003: in its first playoffs, Minnesota trailed Colorado 3–1 and then Vancouver 3–1, and won both series, becoming the first club to win two seven-game series in the same playoffs after facing elimination in Game 5. Anaheim stopped them in the conference final.
- 2007–08: the club's first division title, sealed by a 3–1 win against Calgary on April 3, 2008.
- January 1, 2022: the Winter Classic at Target Field in Minneapolis. St. Louis won 6–4 before 38,519, with the puck-drop temperature near −5.7°F, colder than any other NHL outdoor game.
For the current roster, see the Wild team site.
Frequently asked questions
Does Grand Casino Arena sell standing room for Wild games?
Yes. Each bowl has a standing-room rail at the top with numbered spots, a good fallback when a game is sold out.
Is Grand Casino Arena the old Xcel Energy Center?
Yes. It was called Xcel Energy Center from 2000 until a new naming deal took effect in September 2025.
Which end do the Wild attack twice?
The end opposite section 101. Seating guides place the visitors' two-period attack end at 101, so Minnesota shoots twice at the far end. Confirm on the listing chart.
Which light rail stop serves Wild games?
The Green Line's Central Station. It connects to the skyways and is a few minutes' walk away.
When do doors open for a Wild game?
As of 2026, an hour and 15 minutes before the game for regular gates, a bit earlier for premium ones. Confirm on the team site before you go.