It’s a whirlwind time for Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin as he starts 2025.
Leading the Wild since 2019, Guerin had general manager responsibilities for the 2025 Team USA that finished second in last month’s dramatic “4 Nations Face-Off” that ended with the overtime championship thriller in Boston where Canada won 3-2. Guerin put together a feisty team that included Wild players Matt Boldy and Brock Faber.
This winter he’s seen a Wild roster challenged by injuries with the list starting with still sidelined superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov. The Wild faces playoff positioning shorthanded but still ranks fourth in the Western Conference with 76 points.
The NHL trade deadline is Friday and Guerin and staff are sorting through options. Last week they traded for 35-year-old Nashville Predators forward Gustav Nyquist in exchange for a second round 2026 draft choice. .
Guerin, 54, knows that no matter who is on his roster those players deserve a relationship and clear communications from him. Even in the almost five years since he became the Wild’s GM, and certainly much more so than in the 1990’s and 2000’s when he was an NHL player, players have increased expectations about how they’re related to, Guerin told Sports Headliners.
“100 percent it is (different) and you know what? I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think it’s actually a good thing because I would have loved that (as a player).
“Because I feel now, like more than ever, the coach, the general manager we’re not so much in a position to say, do this, do that. It’s how can we help you get better? What can we do for you to help you carry out our game plan? We’re here for them.”
This new generation of players wants to be on the “same page” with coaches and management. Guerin considers it critical he know “what makes them tick.” He needs to know if there is something troubling a player, impacting and causing poor performance. “ It’s not that they forgot how to play hockey. Something could be going on in their life that we could help them with,” he said.
In this new era, Guerin uses an approach with players that comes from his career on the ice that spanned from 1991-2010 with eight different teams. This is what goes through his mind:
“Did a GM ever say that to me? Or did a coach ever say that to me? Or how would I have reacted as a player…and how would I have felt?”
As the GM, though, Guerin knows at times there are difficult decisions and messages he must deliver, reminding an interviewer that “I have to be honest, and I have to lead.”
Guerin, of course, hopes this season will result in a long playoff run for the Wild. The ultimate prize is a Stanley Cup championship. That’s something the franchise has never achieved and winning a cup would nicely fit into what Guerin wants his legacy to be as a GM. The Wild has made the playoffs every year except one during the Guerin era and had one second place regular seson finish in the Western Conference.
“First and foremost winning,” he answered about how he wants to be remembered. “A winning general manager is what I want to be known as, but I also want to be known as somebody that the people who worked for me enjoyed working for me and the players that worked for me enjoyed working for me, and they all felt supported. But the winning is the bottom line.”
Guerin, who won Stanley Cups as a player with the Devils and Penguins, has never forgotten the advice of his father who told him to hire people smarter than himself.
“Everything goes back to human beings. I mean good people and smart people that help you because you can’t do it all on your own,” Guerin said.
Guerin’s father was Irish, his mother Nicaraguan. He was the first Hispanic player in NHL history when he debuted with the Devils in 1991.
Guerin is appreciative of not only the people who work for him but also franchise owner Craig Leipold. “He’s the best. He’s an incredible human being. Treats me and my family so well. They are just a joy to work for. He supports me, challenges me and has passion for the team and just wants to win.”
Guerin has learned over the years how approachable Leipold and his wife are. “Him and Helen are just two of the kindest people that we’ve met, and they are just great to be around. They make you feel like part of the family and that’s really special.”
This next offseason the Wild will be positioned to have more salary cap room than at any time in years. The summer news could include not only acquisition of players but also the re-signing of Kaprizov.
Regarding the offseason and extra money to spend, Guerin would only say it’s important to “be patient, be ready.” He wouldn’t get into predictions about Kaprizov other than to praise the 27-year-old’s talents.
Guerin said Kaprizov is “right up there” with the elite players he has been around. “He is extremely driven and when you have that skill set and that drive it’s a deadly combination.”
Away from the job, Guerin finds satisfaction with activities that include golf, cooking and woodworking.
He is passionate about golf because “it’s different every round,” referring to the ups and downs of his game. There’s the camaraderie, too. “It’s a lot of fun,” said the nine-handicapper who loves to play at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata.
In the kitchen Guerin finds challenges, too. “I love to cook,” he said.. “I’ve been doing that for quite a while now. It’s just fun to be able to put things on the table and seeing what you can come up with.
“I think that’s my favorite thing (about it), is just kind of opening the fridge and seeing what’s there and seeing what you can come up with. Dinners with friends and family, there’s nothing better than good food, and good wine and just bringing people together. I love that.”
Woodworking is relatively new to him. “I don’t know why I decided to give it a try but I actually really love it, and it’s kind of like therapy for me. I’ve made more mistakes than I care to admit but that’s kind of the way I am learning and it’s just something that’s fun. It gets my mind off of everything else.”
Guerin has built a table for outside grilling. It is on wheels, has a butcher block top, hooks and a beer bottle opener.
Woodworking or hockey, why should we be surprised? The man is a builder.
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Matthews, of course, won’t be the opening day pitcher. He will exceed expectations by making the five-man regular rotation of starters. Staff ace Pablo López likely receives opening day honors, with a relief corps that could be among baseball’s best backing up the 15-game winner in 2024.