The biggest possible splash for Minnesota is to lock up superstar Kirill Kaprizov for years to come. A contract extension is going to be expensive, and it may have him as the highest paid player in the league.

When Kaprizov and his teammates take the ice next season, they’ll do so at the same arena, but with a new name.

Grand Casino Arena is MN Wild’s new home

Since the Minnesota Wild first dropped the puck 25 years ago fans have been flooding into the Xcel Energy Center. The arena quickly became known as “The X” and now it will take fans time to adjust if they do at all.

A new era is here! Introducing Grand Casino Arena 🎉 #mnwild 🤝 @grandcasinoMN

Read more » https://t.co/14Weokt95y pic.twitter.com/9XN0ImOu9T

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) June 30, 2025

Naming rights are all about money. The Minnesota Wild’s contract with Xcel Energy came to a close. There was a possibility the company would renegotiate, but it seemed likely that both sides were set to move on. With Grand Casino stepping in, the Wild have a new primary sponsor and an influx of negotiated cash.

Previous reports had Securian Financial as a potential suitor. That may have worked towards fans adopting an easier moniker with the arena simply going as the Securian Center. Grand Casino Arena is probably going to take a bit longer to catch on.

“Grand Casino Arena will serve as the anchor of a dynamic entertainment district that transforms downtown Saint Paul,The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has been a strong supporter of and investor in this city. We are thrilled for their partnership and support of the arena.”

Craig Leipold – Minnesota Wild

The new naming rights partnership is a 14-year deal that begins on September 3, 2025. All signage throughout the arena will be replaced to reflect the change. Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press has the figures on the new deal and they are significant.

“Xcel Energy Center’s naming rights were worth $3 million a year to the Wild. Grand Casino naming rights are believed to be worth at least $10 million annually.”

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

With the Minnesota Wild choosing a gaming sponsor for their naming rights, you can only envision an increased level of visibility when it comes to gambling. The sports world has already embraced betting. It’s only logical that we’ll continue to see more gambling-based partnerships in the future.

But it doesn’t matter how close the series was or how well Minnesota played, at times. In the end, we got the same result as we have for the last decade — a first round loss. Now, president of hockey operations Bill Guerin will begin the most crucial offseason of his six years with the MN Wild.

Finally, the Parise and Suter contracts are (mostly) off the books. That likely means an extension for Kirill Kaprizov, decision time on Marco Rossi. Throughout the next few months, brace for all sorts of trade rumors and free agency connections involving the Wild.

Who knows what the Minnesota Wild will look like in 2025-26, on the ice. There’s way too much unknown to confidently piece together a roster prediction. If you zoom out, however, we know of one thing that will be much, much different starting next season.

No more Xcel Energy Center

Xcel Energy Center will no longer be the name of the Wild’s home arena in St. Paul, as their naming rights contract is due and not expected to be renewed. They’ve been out shopping for a new naming rights sponsor, and seemingly got deep into talks with Securian Financial late last year.

To this point, however, we have yet to get any sort of official announcement or breaking news report on who that next naming rights sponsor is or what their home arena will now be called.

That was until Charley Walters wrote a new notes column for Sunday’s Pioneer Press newspaper, and may have given it away. According to the longtime local sports insider, MN Wild fans ‘shouldn’t be surprised’ if the new arena sponsor is Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

Don’t be surprised if Grand Casino Mille Lacs this summer succeeds Xcel Energy Center after 25 years as the Wild arena’s corporate naming rights holder.

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press (TwinCities.com)

Grand Casino Mill Lacs Arena — Home of the Minnesota Wild…?

Obviously, the Xcel Energy Center has had its name since the St. Paul arena first opened in 2000. The original lease ran for 25 years, but it still seems surprising that the local power company wouldn’t want to re-up. My guess would be cost.

You have to imagine the Wild’s asking price for that contract is up significantly, since they first signed up two and a half decades ago. Now, will anyone actually adopt the new name or just call it “The X” forever?

Related: MN Wild Practice Reveals Controversial Line Combos and New Injury Updates

I can’t tell the future, but I’m not sure how they’re going to get Grand Casino Mille Lacs Arena to stick, but I do prefer that to Grand Casino Mille Lacs Center. I find it highly unlikely Charley Walters is wrong, if that’s what you’re hoping. In all likelihood, this is it. So start practicing, Wild fans….

But those are today’s problems. What happens if we take a step back and look to the future? What does the crystal ball hold for a MN Wild franchise that has yet to make a Stanley Cup Final in its quarter century of existence? The Parise/Sutor cap penalties mostly fall off after this season, finally. That will surely help.

First on the Wild’s offseason agenda will be a Kirill Kaprizov extension. That needs to happen first, or there will be no imminent opportunity to win a Cup. Meanwhile, what is the plan at goalie? Oh, and will Guerin find a way to ship Rossi out of town, even after catapulting past expectations the past two seasons?

Xcel Energy Center needs big price tag renovations

All of these player personnel question marks have Wild fans mostly distracted from the escalating situation with the team’s home arena, Xcel Energy Center. Not only is the naming rights contract coming due after this season, but owner Craig Leipold is also trying to push a massive overdue renovation inside the multi-purpose venue.

According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo — beyond updates to the “HVAC system, cabling and wiring, kitchens and bathrooms” inside the X (which it won’t be called much longer) — the Wild want to add a second escalator, make updates and improvements to the home locker room, and add a team video room. For the fans, the goal is more concession and club options on “all building levels”.

How much will these massive arena renovations cost and who will pay for them? The cost will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and the Minnesota Wild are requesting tax dollars to help pay for the improvements. Both are standard asks for any professional sports team looking to build new or renovate a home venue.

Related: Sounds Like Brock Nelson is Destined for a MN Wild Homecoming…but When?

As Russo points out in his piece, the Vikings got more than half of U.S. Bank Stadium paid for by taxpayers, the Twins somehow got 77% of Target Field paid for via public funds. Even Target Center got half of their multi-hundred million dollar renovation paid for from tax dollars.

NHL Commissioner comes to side of MN Wild owner Craig Leipold

But NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, who was in town for the Minnesota Wild’s last game vs the Calgary Flames over the weekend, made it very clear to St. Paul political leaders that the Wild and NHL are very serious about receiving these public funds.

“This building is what, 25 years old now? It was designed very well for hockey, but it’s no longer state-of-the-art. It needs a refresh. I’m also mindful of the fact that the other three major sports teams have all gotten stadiums or upgrades with a public-private partnership. Craig obviously is prepared to participate. The Wild are.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman – Quote via The Athletic

Then… Bettman did something that’s sure to cause some unwelcome deja vu for local hockey fans. He made a not-so-passive-aggressive threat about a Minnesota Wild move out of St. Paul. The NHL commish says that Craig Leipold is committed to remaining in St. Paul, but Bettman also made it clear that the league is not as committed as the Wild owner.

If the state of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul can’t come to a funding agreement that makes the Wild feel financially supported like pro teams that play in Minneapolis, then there are other “options” on the table, according to Bettman. No, not outside the state. Russo and Smith’s piece at The Athletic makes it very clear the NHL “won’t allow that to happen again” so don’t panic completely.

“[Craig Leipold] is a fan of and committed to St Paul. Though he probably has options, he’s not exploring them because this is where he wants to be and he wants the team to be, and he’s been committed to St Paul for every breathing moment that he’s owned the team.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman – Quote via The Athletic

Could Minnesota Wild consider a move out of St. Paul?

Instead, Bettman and Leipold have their eyes on the other Twin City, along with some Minneapolis/St. Paul suburbs. The Athletic’s piece specifically mentions Arden Hills, which was a finalist for U.S. Bank Stadium, before it ended up in downtown Minneapolis.

Related: MN Wild Prospects Turn Heads at 2025 World Junior Championship

If Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez land the Minnesota Timberwolves, they are expected to privately fund a new arena. The Wild could lease there, too. In other words: St. Paul needs to convince state politicians to approve funding for Xcel Energy Center renovations on the East side of the river… or else.

[Bettman] is inferring that other cities and communities might be alternatives if St. Paul, which owns Xcel Energy Center, can’t convince the state to support a renovation. Minneapolis is one option. Depending on how the Timberwolves ownership dispute shakes out, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Lore will be pushing for a privately financed new arena, so the Wild could always try to lease in there.

Plus, remember, when the Vikings were threatening to move out of Minneapolis before U.S. Bank Stadium got funded largely through public support, Arden Hills stepped up as one community trying to attract the Vikings by agreeing with them on a new stadium.

Michael Russo & Joe Smith – The Athletic

Beyond hockey, there is a lot to be figured out for the Minnesota Wild, over the next year or two. One thing is for sure, Gary Bettman does not come out with these public threats to MN and St. Paul politicians, if early talks for funding between Leipold and lawmakers had gone well. Clearly, they have not. Thus, Bettman is trying to put some pressure on. Will it work? Only time will tell.

A new suitor emerges for Minnesota Wild home

Xcel Energy has been the corporate naming rights sponsor for the Minnesota Wild’s home arena in downtown St. Paul since it opened in 2000. ‘The X’ is a staple institution, among Minnesota sports fans. But starting next year, they’ll be forced to re-wire their sports brains.

According to Charley Walters (Pioneer Press), Securian Financial emerged as a potential partner, a while back. But now, they have some competition, in RBC Wealth Management, another financial planning company.

“There’s buzz that RBC has joined Securian among financial firms under consideration to replace Xcel Energy Center as corporate naming sponsor for the St. Paul Arena. A deal could be worth at least $10 million a year over 25 years.”

Charley Walters on the Minnesota Wild naming rights (Pioneer Press)

RBC Wealth Management is a financial firm that already has a growing presence in the Twin Cities metro area. RBC’s Minnesota headquarters is located near Nicolet Mall, in Minneapolis. In fact, the financial juggernaut recently added to the downtown Minneapolis skyline a few years ago, opening a 33-story skyscraper. Now, RBC is trying to put its stamp on St. Paul.

Related: Minnesota Wild Trade 1st Round Pick for Top NHL-Ready Defenseman

Walters suggests that the new naming rights deal will last 25 years, which was the contract length of the building’s original naming rights partner, Xcel Energy. We’ll see if this imminent name change actually holds, with the Minnesota Wild fanbase, or if State of Hockey fans are stubborn enough to call it “The X” forever, no matter who is actually paying for the sponsorship.

“The X” easily rolls off the tongue and has become synonymous with our favorite hockey team. Previous reports suggested a name change could be coming, and it looks like we’ll have an answer soon.

It’s typical for a stadium or arena to change naming rights partners. While fans gravitate towards what something has been known the longest, money fuels every single sports organization.

New name for Minnesota Wild’s “X” will take time

Nonetheless, when reports first trickled out suggesting that The X would no longer be the home of the Minnesota Wild, it was a bit shocking. But now, Charley Walters is hearing whispers on who will take the new name of the Wild’s home arena. Local based, Securian Financial.

“St. Paul-based Securian Financial is still getting whispered as new corporate sponsor, replacing Xcel Energy Center.”

Charley Walters on the new Minnesota Wild naming rights partner (Pioneer Press)

Related: Gus Scored Wild’s First Goalie Goal… but it Wasn’t His Idea

It makes sense that the new corporate sponsor would be a locally-based company. This isn’t “The Bank” going from TFC to Huntington though. “Securian Financial Center” won’t be able to replace the easily abbreviated “Xcel Energy Center” but there are worse arena names, that’s for sure. Want a new nickname? How about… “The Vault”?

This could wind up being a similar scenario to one that the Milwaukee Brewers have faced. Although their home is now called American Family Field, no one has stopped calling it Miller Park. From a branding perspective, and corporate recognition, that’s obviously a nightmare.

Related: Where Do Minnesota Wild Players Rank in ESPN Top 100?

Securian Financial will pay a pretty penny for these rights, and they won’t want their investment disregarded. We still don’t know for sure that this deal will come to fruition, but Charley has been on this story from the very beginning so there’s no reason to think he’s wrong.

On the ice, the MN Wild need more talent but their best prospects aren’t ready and they do not have the salary cap space for any significant moves this summer, thanks to one more year of $14.7 million Ryan Suter + Zach Parise cap penalties.

In other words, this organization would love to fast-forward one year from today. 2025-26 is the season that everyone has circled in the Minnesota Wild organization. Those buyout penalties finally fall off the books and it feels like a new Minnesota Wild will emerge from the tunnels of Xcel Energy Center…. or maybe not?

No more Xcel Energy Center for the Minnesota Wild

Since their inception in 2000, the Minnesota Wild have played at the Xcel Energy Center, or ‘The X’ for short. But according to Charley Walters (Pioneer Press), that won’t be the case for long. Next season, Shooter reports, “look for Xcel Energy Center to have a new naming rights sponsor”.

“Look for Xcel Energy Center, home of the Wild, to have a new naming rights sponsor after the next NHL season. The arena has had Xcel Energy, worth about $3 million per year over 25 years for the Wild, as its title sponsor. One company is said to already have made an offer to the Wild, which operates the arena, and a handful of other firms are seriously interested.”

Charley Walters – Pioneer Press

If next season is indeed the last year of the “Xcel Energy Center” arena name, it will be the end of quite an era in St. Paul. And I expect it would be hard to replicate such a perfect building name (or nickname) than what they have now… not that they care as much about that as they do making more money. But fans do.

If you’re going to allow a new corporate sponsor the opportunity to rename an arena, doing so for one that has a catchy moniker is tough. The Minnesota Wild have called “The X” their home for so long, that suggesting it as the “Xcel Energy Center” almost feels forced.

As the upcoming season gets underway, and ultimately draws towards as close, fans may start to hear actual naming rights suitors start to trickle out to the public, especially given that Charley says the Wild have already received at least one offer.

Owner Craig Leipold is also speaking with government officials on funding for a very large renovation to The X… or whatever it will be called after next season. The times, they are a changin. Definitely a songline written for arena name changes in the mid 2020s.

It would be nice if the Minnesota Wild get this arena name change right

For years the Milwaukee Brewers played at Miller Park, and following a name change to American Family Field, the AmFam Field nickname has been pushed towards fans. It’s a hard change to get used to, and some will likely never stop calling the home what it had always been known as.

These facilities aren’t changing in any drastic way, and signage is more important to those getting paid through the corporate sponsorship deals. Target already has naming rights on two of the Twin Cities stadiums, with U.S. Bank being plastered on the home of the Minnesota Vikings.

Related: Minnesota Wild Nervous that Kirill Kaprizov Will Leave

Allianz represents the Minnesota United Football Club, and Huntington Bank is home of the Minnesota Gophers. The Minneapolis metro area is home to multiple large corporations and any number of them could conceivably be interested. How catchy the new name will be remains a mystery for now.

This is a venue used for so many different events outside of just hockey, which is why the MN Wild need to get this right. Rumor has it a new arena name may not be the only changes coming in 2026. They may or may not be swapping color schemes as well…

Major renovations coming for Xcel Energy Center

But, owner Craig Leipold has the city scrambling to plan, approve and execute major renovations the the Wild’s home arena. According to Darren “Doogie” Wolfson (SKOR North, KSTP), Leipold met with city officials last week, including mayor

“[At the end of October] Melvin Carter, the Mayor of St. Paul; Governor Tim Walz and Wild officials met to talk about renovations to Xcel Energy Center. Craig Leopold wants renovations done sooner, rather than later. So those meetings are starting to ramp up.”

Darren Wolfson (SKOR North – Mackey & Judd)

Unfortunately, Doogie didn’t have any details on what exactly the renovation would entail, but when pressed by Mackey & Judd co-host, Judd Zulgad, Wolfson made it clear the project will be an extensive one. He said he would expect updates to anything that may need it, including seats, concourse, upper level, suites, boards, etc.

Let’s be real, if this was a small project, Craig Leopold wouldn’t be meeting with the mayor and governor about it in hush hush fashion. If curious about what might be in the plans, Wolfson said he would look at what has gone into some of the state of the art arenas built in recent years.