The game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday marks the 18th home opener in Wild history. It's a night Minnesota has made special over the years for the home fans, posting a 14-0-3 record all time in home openers.
Per NHL stats, the Wild's .853 points percentage in home openers is the best in the League history.
"I think every team loves playing at home and we're no different," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. "We think the ice is good and everything is conducive to the way we play. We focus on having a really good home record and we hope it continues."
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The Wild earned at least one point in 35 of its 41 home games last season, the best mark in the NHL. It was one of the main reasons why the club finished with 101 points, fourth-most in the Western Conference and eighth-most in the NHL.
"The atmosphere that we provided here last year is what we want to [do again]," Foligno said. "Everybody wants to start off on the right foot. The home opener, you really want to win that game and start off on the right foot. We love playing here."
For defenseman Greg Pateryn, Saturday's game will mark the first time he'll get to wear a Wild sweater in front of a true home crowd.
The home opener will mark Pateryn's third career game inside Xcel Energy Center, but after signing a three-year contract with the Wild over the summer, it will be the third of many, many more in the years to come.
"I'm real excited to play in front of these fans tonight," Pateryn said. "I know a lot of [opponents] don't like playing here because the crowd just really takes the energy away from the visiting team and gives it to the home team. That's obvious from the moment you step on the ice. It'll be fun to be on the other side of it tonight."
