Not ignoring the events

It's tough being void of news, especially Minnesota Wild news. And this time of the year, with the pre-season in full swing and the opener on the horizon, the team is taking on its identity and shape and this is a great time to get a feel for the season ahead, and I am missing it.

Unfortunately, a few things have prevented me from maintaining a good and constant source of the information about my favorite team. You see, I am on our annual family vacation and my link to the outside world is not as strong as I would like it to be. No, we are not 'roughing' it completely, but there are a few things that are hampering my ability to receive Wild news. First off, although I do have Internet access, it is very limited. And since I have a few kinks to work out with my fantasy team, most of my web time has been spent on sorting that out. Secondly, the newspaper guy stopped coming by the resort we are at a few weeks ago, so simply getting the daily paper is a chore in itself. And finally, the radio air-waves don't seem to penetrate the thick Pine trees so trying to get a signal to even the pre-season games is impossible.

So in case you are wondering, I'm not ignoring what is going on. The news is plentiful, I'm sure. But since I am here, there is not much I can do other than this...

From my in-box

HOCKEY UNPLUGGED - The first Wild Hockey Unplugged of the season will take place Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at O’Garas Bar and Grill located at 164 Snelling Avenue North in St. Paul. Fans in attendance will have the opportunity to participate in an open ‘mic’ question and answer session and receive an autograph from Josh Harding and James Sheppard. Autograph tickets for each player will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

USED HOCKEY EQUIPMENT DRIVE - The Minnesota Wild, Let’s Play Hockey and Minnesota Hockey have teamed up to collect used hockey equipment in the Twin Cities. Xcel Energy Center will have drop-off boxes stationed on top of the Xcel Energy Center Box Office for the team’s preseason game against St. Louis on Sept. 24, as well as the Qwest Tour on Friday, Sept. 25, featuring the 2010 U.S. Women’s Olympic Team taking on the WCHA’s Women’s All-Stars. Fans bringing in used equipment items for the Qwest Tour game on Sept. 25 will receive a voucher for $5 off the price of up to four tickets ($15 general admission).

STATE OF HOCKEY CELEBRATION – The Wild will host a State of Hockey Celebration in the Mall of America Sears Court on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The State of Hockey Celebration will include interactive hockey games, prize giveaways, historical displays, a chance to win player autographed jerseys and watch Wild highlights on a Sony TV. Hockey players from the USA Women’s hockey team (10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.), the University of Minnesota men’s team (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) and the Wild (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) will make appearances, participate in a question and answer session with Wild broadcasters Mike Greenlay, Dan Terhaar and Kevin Falness and sign autographs at the event. Nordy will appear from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. For Wild player autographs fans be able to get a number from the Wild table starting at 3:00 p.m. The first 300 people to receive a number will receive an autograph.

CAPITAL OF THE STATE OF HOCKEY - Minnesota Wild fans have the opportunity to select what city is the capital of the State of Hockey on http://www.wild.com/. The contest will continue through the conclusion of the 2009-10 NHL regular season. The winner of the Capital of the State of Hockey contest, presented by TRIA Orthopaedic Center, will be announced on April 10 when the Wild hosts the Dallas Stars. Fans can see the full bracket and vote by clicking on the State of Hockey link on the home page of www.wild.com. A total of 32 cities from across the state will compete in the contest. Each Monday, two cities will face-off in an effort to advance to the next round.