“Hockey fans owe a tremendous amount of thanks to Norm Coleman for all of the hard work and dedication he devoted to making sure the National Hockey League returned to the State of Hockey,” said Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold. “I am extremely excited to recognize Norm for all of his efforts with the State of Hockey Legacy Award.”
Coleman dedicated more than three decades to public service, serving as Minnesota’s chief prosecutor and Solicitor General in the 1970s and 1980s, and Mayor of St. Paul from 1994 to 2002. He also represented Minnesota in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009. In 2011, Coleman returned to his legal career as Senior Counsel at Hogan Lovells. The concept of service is close to Senator Coleman’s heart as he is active in a variety of political organizations and nonprofits.
One of Coleman’s major accomplishments during his tenure as the Mayor of Saint Paul was bringing professional hockey back to Minnesota. His efforts led the National Hockey League (NHL) to grant an expansion team to Minnesota in 1997. Three years later, the Minnesota Wild began their inaugural 2000-01 NHL season at Xcel Energy Center in downtown Saint Paul.
Coleman will be honored during the first intermission of the Minnesota Wild game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. at Xcel Energy Center.
The State of Hockey Legacy Award, presented by the Wild, Minnesota Hockey and FanDuel Sports Network, recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary and long-term contributions to hockey in Minnesota. Past recipients are Herb Brooks (2024), Laura Halldorson (2023), Dr. George Nagobads (2022), John Mayasich (2021), Doug Woog (2020), Larry Hendrickson (2019), Bob Naegele, Jr. (2018), Walter L. Bush, Jr. (2016), Bob O'Connor (2015), Lou Nanne (2014), Glen Sonmor (2012), Neal Broten (2011) and Lou Cotroneo (2010).
