Bill Guerin made plenty of waves as general manager of the Minnesota Wild this season.
So, it was fitting that the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award was presented to him after it arrived by boat.
Guerin was surprised with the award by his wife, Kara, his children and his mom, on Thursday at a restaurant on Lake Minnetonka, where Guerin was with the Wild’s entire hockey operations staff, along with owner Craig Leopold, for a pre-draft dinner.
While Leopold was giving a speech, Kara and family walked in with the award, much to the shock of Guerin.
As Guerin saw the trophy, Leopold said, “We want Billy know how much we love him.”
Said Guerin: “You don’t achieve things like this on your own, ever. It does take a village. It takes a strong family.”
The official announcement of Guerin’s win was made during the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Friday.
Guerin won the award for the first time after helping the Wild (46-24-12) to a 104-point season (seventh best record in the NHL) and first-round victory against the Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Minnesota got there after Guerin made one of -- if not the biggest -- moves of the 2025-26 season.
That came on Dec. 12, when the Wild acquired Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes averaged 27:54 of ice time in his 48 regular-season games with Minnesota, the highest in the NHL in that span, and had 53 points (five goals, 48 assists), setting a Wild record for assists and points in a season by a defenseman.
A first-time finalist for the GM of the Year Award, Guerin started the season by signing superstar forward Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract ($17 million average annual value) that begins next season, locking up one of the most dynamic scorers in the NHL long term. Last offseason, Guerin acquired forward Vladimir Tarasenko in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on June 30, 2025, and signed center Nico Sturm as a free agent on July 1.
Prior to this season’s NHL Trade Deadline, he made moves for forward Bobby Brink (trade with Philadelphia Flyers) and defenseman Jeff Petry (trade with Florida Panthers). He also landed forward Nick Foligno in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, uniting him with his brother, Marcus Foligno.
Guerin also made sure to thank his staff at the Wild.
“I hope everybody knows how much I appreciate them for what they do for me,” Guerin said.
It’s the first time a Wild GM has won the award since it was established for the 2009-10 season.
Guerin was also GM for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, helping his country win gold in the men’s tournament for the first time since 1980.
Guerin was named on 37 of 40 ballots as a top-three selection and received 131 voting points, finishing atop a close race with second-place Chris MacFarland (123 points), who was GM of the Colorado Avalanche and has since been hired as president of hockey operations and GM by the Nashville Predators. MacFarland received the most first-place votes (20) and was listed on 31 ballots. Pat Verbeek (Anaheim Ducks) was the other finalist.
Voting for the award was conducted among the NHL general managers and a panel of League executives and media at the conclusion of the first round of the playoffs.
