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MN Wild Splitting Up Practice to Keep Avalanche Off Ice?
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- MN Wild Splitting Up Practice to Keep Avalanche Off Ice?
Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Tonight, the Minnesota Wild will attempt to tie up their second round playoff series against the Colorado Avalanche at 2-2, before the postseason festivities flip back to Denver on Wednesday.
Most Wild players took the TRIA Rink ice for their morning skate Monday, like normal. However, tonight’s inactive players were elsewhere… over at Grand Casino Arena, to be specific. Normally, those guys would skate before their teammates.
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But apparently, for the second time in this series, the MN Wild instead sent them to their game arena to workout away from the rest of the team. Why would head coach John Hynes and president of hockey operations Bill Guerin make such a move during the playoffs.
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According to at least one Avalanche reporter, Jesse Montano (Gorilla Sports) it’s a gamesmanship tactic. He “presumes” the Wild are clogging up the Grand Casino Arena ice so Colorado can’t get on it prior to their scheduled practice time.
The Minnesota Wild do morning skate at their practice facility, but for the second game in a row, their scratches are skating at the game rink. Presumably, to ensure the Avs don’t get on the ice early pic.twitter.com/6JvQ8FamVi
— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) May 11, 2026
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Normally, Avalanche players would filter onto the ice before their allotted practice time, to get extra work in. That’s only possible because the Minnesota Wild — including inactive players — are all at TRIA Rink.
And Montano believes that to be the sole reason why Minnesota has been sending some guys to Grand Casino Arena for morning skates during this series. Because if MN Wild players are on the ice, Colorado players can’t get early work in.
I have to admit, I absolutely love this type of postseason pettiness. Eventually, the Avalanche were able to get on the ice for their regularly scheduled practice session.
Game 4🔜 #goavsgo #mnwild pic.twitter.com/rKam65iu6q
— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) May 11, 2026
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