New GM Fletcher begins new era for Wild

Chuck Fletcher
Chuck Fletcher is the new general manager of the Minnesota Wild NHL team.
Getty Images/Getty Images

The new general manager of the Minnesota Wild hockey team says he's committed to making the Wild a championship franchise again. The team introduced Chuck Fletcher, who has been the Pittsburgh Penguins' assistant General Manager, today at a press conference at the Xcel Center in St. Paul.

Fletcher replaces Doug Risebrough, who was fired in April after building the expansion team from the ground up.

"Last year certainly the team didn't make the playoffs and fell short of its expectations, and my goal would be ot make this club a hard team to play against again and style of play has a lot to do with it and dictating the pace of the play has a lot to do with it," Fletcher said.

Fletcher said he's been impressed by the Minnesota Wild but he plans to revamp the way the team plays the game.

"Every year it changes a little bit but I think that's a pretty darn good blueprint," Fletcher said. You want skill, you want speed and you want mobility on your back end. You want your best players to be committed and it's not easy to get there, 26 teams aren't there right now."

Fletcher said he plans to begin interviewing candidates for the coaching vacancy next week and hopes to make a decision by next month's draft.

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