Minnesota Wild Time Line page9

Uniquely Minnesota names round out six finalists for Minnesota Hockey NHL.

[November 20, 1997] -- Minnesota Hockey NHL rolled out a list of six name finalists today at Johnson Senior High School in Saint Paul as the team moves towards selecting a name for the new NHL franchise.

The final team name will include the word "Minnesota" preceding the new name, a reflection of the team's feeling that the new NHL franchise belongs to the entire state.

"We are well aware of the fact that our hockey fans live in every corner of this state," said team spokesperson, Jac Sperling. "And, for that reason, we have decided that any new name will have a 'Minnesota' designation."

The six team name finalists submitted by fans are: Minnesota Blue Ox, Minnesota Freeze, Minnesota Northern Lights, Minnesota Voyageurs, Minnesota White Bears, and Minnesota Wild.

"These are uniquely Minnesota names and we are pleased with the number of fans, 8000 of them, that submitted over 13,000 name suggestions," explained Sperling. "In the end, we believe that whichever of these six names is chosen will continue to reflect the great traditions of this state, result in a name that captures the imagination and excitement of NHL Hockey and a name that every Minnesotan, hockey fan or not, can look to with pride."

Each name was submitted by numerous fans. These are a summary of the comments made by some of the fans who submitted their suggestions:

Minnesota Blue Ox: "... it is just the mystique and image for a team that does battle on a frozen pond."

Minnesota Freeze: "Everything stops when it's freezing except hockey players in Minnesota."

Minnesota Northern Lights:"The Northern Lights are always beautiful and never fail to be. The Minnesota Hockey team will never fail to impress us with their expertise and talent."

Minnesota Voyageurs:"It tells all -- strong, hearty and looking for adventure. It gives a taste of Minnesota."

Minnesota White Bears:"The name comes from the Native American legend about a brave warrior who killed a white bear to save the life of his maiden who was being threatened by the bear. Thus, the name, and legend of White Bear Lake."

Minnesota Wild:"It speaks to our state's spectacular natural beauty, our awesome wild life and our plentiful outdoor activity. If its Minnesota hockey, its wild."