More from the new Wild GM.

Wild Blogger Brad Ratgen from HockeyBuzz had the text of a recent press conference with the Owner Craig Leipold and Chuck Fletcher that was held in St. Paul, I picked out a couple of things that Wild fans might be happy about.

Q&A Session with Owner Craig Leipold and New GM Chuck Fletcher
May 25, 2009,----- Regarding the big name free agents, “we have everything to offer them here. I think the system in the past might have held them back. I believe Chuck feels that way. The people that came through felt that way. And so I think this may be the missing piece and they will look at us in a different light and will want to come play here.”

Leipold pointed out that Fletcher is GM and (Leipold) is president of the Wild.

Regarding players wanting to play in Minnesota, “you would think everyone would be knocking on our door to play here. Hopefully now the word gets out that this is a place to play up tempo and score goals.”
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Regarding Minnesota players and/or American players, “we are going to get the best person available. Being from Minnesota and playing in Minnesota won’t be looked upon any longer as a negative.”
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“I love physical hockey (up tempo, fore checking, on pucks, separating the defender from the puck). It doesn’t have to be fighting. I certainly believe fighting as a necessary element of a good club. Toughness to me is mental, it’s physical, it’s winning battles, it’s having your best players go to the net knowing they’re going to get cross checked. That’s toughness. Those are the type of players we want. You need a physical element and a mentally tough element. Pace of play, forcing play. Those are all elements of physical, up-tempo hockey.”

“Any team can play this style. You need skill and intelligence. We want an identity of being an up-tempo, hard working, difficult team that’s tough to play against.”