Minnesota Wild Time Line page34

[June 8, 1999] -- The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced today that since mid-May the organization has sold 52 of the 64 suites available in the new Saint Paul Arena. At the Grand Opening of the team's marketing center, Minnesota Wild CEO Jac Sperling led members of the media on a tour of a full-scale model of a suite in the new Saint Paul Arena. The tour highlighted suite amenities, furnishings and business services available to suiteholders in the new Saint Paul Arena.

Suites will have 12 to 18 fixed seats, plus additional bar stool seating. In addition to the 64 suites that will be held under multi-year agreements, the Wild has eight super-suites with seating for 30 available on an event basis, along with two suites for use by the team.

"The corporate community in Minnesota has shown overwhelming support for our efforts to supply high quality premium seating. Suites in the new Saint Paul Arena will be a premier hospitality opportunity for business entertainment," said Sperling. "Suiteholders will have five-star quality food and service, along with the unbelievable sightlines to view the Coolest Game on Earth and other entertainment events."

Suiteholders will enjoy a number of benefits in the new Saint Paul Arena, including the following highlighted items:

· Tickets to over 100 quality events throughout the 
year in the new Saint Paul Arena, including pre-season 
and regular season Minnesota Wild games and other 
events such as concerts, family shows, high school 
tournaments and touring shows
· Reserved parking spaces for Minnesota Wild games 
located in the adjacent Kellogg Ramp or RiverCentre 
Ramp  
· Premium catered food and beverage services provided 
by Morrissey Hospitality, renowned for its food and 
service at The Saint Paul Hotel Grill and Pazzaluna 
· Spacious entertainment area within each individual 
suite
· State-of-the-art Business Center offering services 
such as access to computer, printer, fax and 
audio/visual equipment

MINNESOTA WILD ONLY ONE YEAR AWAY FROM 2000 NHL EXPANSION AND ENTRY DRAFTS

[June 23, 1999] -- The National Hockey League's (NHL) Minnesota Wild is exactly one year away from selecting players in the 2000 Expansion and Entry Drafts to be held from June 23rd to June 25th in the home of the Calgary Flames, the Canadian Airlines Saddledome. The Wild will participate in the NHL Expansion Draft on Friday, June 23, 2000. As part of a new format, the Entry Draft will be conducted over a two-day period, with the first three rounds taking place on Saturday, June 24, 2000, while rounds four through nine will take place on Sunday, June 25, 2000. A Top Prospects Preview is also scheduled for June 23, 2000.

In 1985, the Entry Draft was held outside Montreal for the first time. Since then, the event has been hosted by other cities across North America, including Detroit (1987), Bloomington, Minn. (1989), Vancouver (1990), Buffalo (1990, 1998), Quebec City (1993), Hartford (1994), Edmonton (1995), St. Louis (1996), Pittsburgh (1997) and Boston this year. Canadian Airlines Saddledome, which opened October 15, 1983, will be hosting its first NHL Draft in 2000.

The Atlanta Thrashers will select 26 players in this year's Expansion Draft on Friday, June 25 at 3:00 p.m. ET in Boston. Each club is allowed to protect either (i) up to five defensemen, nine forwards and one goaltender, or (ii) up to three defensemen, seven forwards and two goaltenders. Atlanta must select at least three goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13 forwards with its 26 selections. Clubs that lost a goaltender in the 1998 Expansion Draft (Anaheim, Los Angeles, Montreal, New Jersey and New York Rangers) cannot lose a goaltender in the 1999 Expansion Draft.

Minnesota Wild CEO Jac Sperling along with front office personnel Bill Robertson and Brian Hutchinson will be representing the team at this year's NHL Expansion and Entry Draft. The Minnesota Wild will begin play in the 2000-2001 NHL season in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in a new first-class, multi-purpose arena in downtown St. Paul.