No contract renewal for Minnesota Wild's general manager
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Updated: 7:35 p.m. | Posted: 12:32 p.m.
The Minnesota Wild announced Monday morning that the general manager's contract will not be renewed.
Chuck Fletcher was hired by the Wild 2009. He'd previously been the assistant GM for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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Fletcher's tenure as general manager and executive vice president was marked by some big trades, such as trading away Brent Burns for Devin Setoguchi and Charlie Coyle, recruiting strong talent like Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin through drafts and some big name free agent signings.
He made a big splash in 2012, when he signed two marque free agents — forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter — to matching $98 million, 13-year contracts.
During the last six season, the Wild have consistently made the post season, but over the last three have struggled, exiting in the first round each year.
And for team owner Craig Leipold, it was tough to watch the team plateau.
"I think we're a good team, I really do. And I just talked to our players about this. They're a good team, but they're not good enough right now," he said. "... So I'm going to be looking for someone that is on the same page that I am. That appreciates the need that this market, which is an unbelievable fan [base], we want to win a Stanley Cup."
Head coach Bruce Boudreau called it a tough day, mentioning that it was Fletcher that hired him.
"I've also been on the other end of it and I know it's a business, you know, and the good news is that I guarantee Chuck will bounce right back," Boudreau said.
In moving forward, Boudreau echoed Leipold's thoughts on what the new GM will be taking on.
"It's not a rebuild, I can tell you that," he said. "I'm sure there will be some tweaks, but we were sixth overall two years ago, we were eighth overall this year. We've got an awful lot of good moving parts there. We'll tweak it a little bit and then we'll be better."
A written statement by Leipold released Monday said the search for a new general manager will begin immediately. Until a replacement is found, Brent Flahr, the senior vice president of hockey operations will serve as acting general manager.
