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The 2000 Expansion Draft will provide the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets with 26 players apiece
[April 19, 2000] -- The 2000 Expansion Draft will provide the Minnesota Wild and the Columbus Blue Jackets with 26 players apiece. Every existing NHL club, except for the exempt Nashville Predators and Atlanta Thrashers, will lose two players each. The 2000 Expansion Draft takes place on June 23rd from the Saddledome in Calgary, AB.
CLUBS TO SUBMIT PROTECTED LISTS TO NHL: Each existing NHL club (except
Nashville and Atlanta) will submit a protected list to the NHL in which it may
protect either:
(i) up to five defensemen, nine forwards and one goaltender
(ii) up to three defensemen, seven forwards and two goaltenders
EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS: Each club must expose for claim at least the following players who meet the experience requirements indicated below:
For clubs protecting One Goaltender
No experience requirement
For clubs protecting Two Goaltenders
10 NHL games played in the 1999-2000 season
or
25 NHL games played over the last two seasons (1998-99 and 1999-2000).
NOTE: A goaltender must have played in a minimum of 31 minutes in a game before
it would qualify as a game played for these purposes. Games played include
regular-season and playoff games.
One Experienced Defenseman Either 40 NHL games played in the 1999-2000
season
or
70 NHL games played over the last two seasons (1998-99 and 1999-2000). Games
played include regular-season and playoff games.
Two Experienced Forwards
40 NHL games played in the 1999-2000 season
or
70 NHL games played over the last two seasons (1998-99 and 1999-2000). Games
played include regular-season and playoff games.
EXEMPT PLAYERS: Exempt from the Expansion Draft are (i) all first- and second-year pros and (ii) unsigned draft choices (except unsigned draft choices drafted from European clubs in the 1996 Entry Draft or before and who remain unsigned).
NUMBER OF GOALTENDERS, DEFENSEMEN AND FORWARDS TO BE SELECTED:
The number of players in each category to be selected by Columbus and Minnesota
will be at least three goaltenders, eight defensemen and 13
forwards.
Only six may be restricted or unrestricted free agents, of which there
may be no more than one goaltender, three defensemen or three
forwards.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS THE EXPANSION DRAFT APPROACHES
MINNESOTA WILD ANNOUNCES FRONT OFFICE APPOINTMENTS[April 21, 2000] -- Minnesota Wild President Tod Leiweke announced today the National Hockey League (NHL) club has appointed the following positions: Laura Day to Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Steve Griggs to Vice President of Customer Sales and Service, Matt Majka to Vice President of Marketing and Bill Robertson to Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting. Day, Griggs, Majka and Robertson will all report directly to Leiweke.
"With the passion and dedication of our whole team, we believe the Minnesota Wild is laying the foundation necessary to become a premier sports and entertainment organization," said Leiweke.
Day's duties as Vice President of Corporate Partnerships include the implementation of corporate sponsorships, overseeing suite sales and supporting local broadcast partnerships for the Wild. Since joining the team in May of 1999, she has overseen the Wild's record sell-out of the suites and Club Level Seats in the New Saint Paul Arena. Day was most recently the Director of Corporate Development for the National Football League's (NFL) Minnesota Vikings. Prior to her tenure with the Vikings, Day was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Major League Baseball's (MLB) Minnesota Twins.
Griggs, 32, came to the Wild in March of this year from Sportsco International, LP and Skydome where he was the Vice President of Corporate Sales and Service. Prior to his tenure at the Skydome, Griggs served as Director of Premium Ticket Sales and Service for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Toronto Raptors. His responsibilities as Vice President of Customer Sales and Service include overseeing all ticket sales and providing extraordinary customer service and benefits to Minnesota Wild season ticket holders.
Majka's duties as Vice President of Marketing include overseeing brand development and presentation, fan development, consumer research, events and promotion, the organization's grass roots marketing initiative and merchandising. He was instrumental in the launch of the Wild's home sweater in November of 1999. Since its unveiling, over 25,000 Wild sweaters have been sold. Majka, 39, joined the Minnesota Wild in October of 1997 from Rollerblade, Inc. where he was the Vice President of Product Marketing.
Robertson, 39, is responsible for overseeing the club's media relations, team services, publications, website and broadcast production efforts as Vice President of Communications and Broadcasting. He is also the main liaison between the Minnesota Wild and both local and national media. Prior to joining the Wild in January of 1998, Robertson was the Director of Communications for Anaheim Sports, Inc. (ASI) a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
They will begin their new duties with the Wild immediately.
MINNESOTA WILD NAMES THOMAS LYNN DIRECTOR OF HOCKEY ADMINISTRATION[April 24, 2000] -- Minnesota Wild Executive Vice President/ General Manager Doug Risebrough announced today the appointment of Thomas Lynn as the team's director of hockey administration and legal affairs. As per club policy, terms were not disclosed.
The native of Syracuse, New York will assist Risebrough in the preparation and negotiation of player contracts, act as the team's liaison with the National Hockey League (NHL), handle administrative duties for the Wild hockey operations department, prepare and oversee hockey operations budgets and represent the club as in-house legal counsel.
"Tom will be an integral part of the Minnesota Wild's hockey operations," said Risebrough. "His expertise in sports law and negotiation combined with years of hockey experience, on and off the ice, will be an asset in this position."
Lynn, 32 (3/20/68), has worked as an Attorney in New York for the last five years at the law firms of Proskauer Rose LLP and Winthrop, Stimson, Putnam & Roberts. He practiced management-side sports law, representing leagues and teams and has advised the office of the NHL Commissioner on such issues as player contracts, the collective bargaining agreement, player discipline, owner discipline and franchise ownership. Lynn's duties have included assisting in negotiating and drafting transfers of interests in professional sports teams, stadium leases and stadium income rights.
Some of Lynn's more notable litigations include assisting in the representation of the NHL's interests in the New York Islanders lease dispute, investigating the class action RICO labor suit brought by former NHL players against former NHL Player's Association Director Alan Eagleson and advising the Commissioner's office regarding the Pittsburgh Penguins ownership dispute. Lynn has also served as a commentator at times for newspapers and radio interviews regarding labor issues.
Lynn played hockey for Yale University from 1986-88 before transferring to LeMoyne College, where he was graduated cum laude with a degree in Philosophy in 1991. He went on to receive his law degree from Cornell Law School in 1995. Lynn has a wife, Leslie, and two children, Joseph and Sarah.