Portfolio - Freelance work - minnesota wild - 2025-26 season
For the last stretch of the 2025-26 Minnesota Wild season, right after the Olympics and through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Heather expanded hockey coverage with feature stories for Wild.com. Some of these stories also appeared in the game-day programs for fans at Grand Casino Arena. PDFs of each story below are available to view/download via the corresponding images.
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Olympic Success: Wild players and staff return to Minnesota after USA wins Olympic gold
March 1, 2026 Play “Free Bird.” On repeat. |
Trade Deadline Primer: Wild GM Bill Guerin is in search of help at the center position
March 2, 2026 Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin already made one of the most blockbuster trades of the season when he brought defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota in a deal with Vancouver on Dec. 12. |
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Wild acquire four forwards and two defensemen ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline
March 7, 2026 Wild General Manager Bill Guerin said he felt good after the trade deadline passed Friday afternoon and is excited to see what his team can do down the stretch of the season. |
Home Ice Advantage: The State of Hockey has shown up for the Wild in St. Paul this season
March 9, 2026 Brock Faber has a perspective unique to the Minnesota Wild fan base. The Maple Grove native grew up a Wild fan. When he was a defenseman with the University of Minnesota Gophers, there’s an iconic photo of Faber cheering in the stands as Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov celebrated a goal on the other side of the glass. |
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The Hat Story: A preseason speech from their General Manager led to the Wild’s player-of-the-game gear
March 18, 2026 Player of the Game has turned into more than a simple postgame nod to a player who contributed to a team’s win. Many teams in various sports have some kind of prop, or hat, that gets passed around to a well-deserving teammate. |
Spurgeon's Impact on the Community
March 20, 2026 The Wild captain has helped with programs meaningful to him and his family. |
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What It Takes To Win: Bogosian, Sturm and Tarasenko have the experience of going the distance in the playoffs
April 3, 2026 In a recent game, a two-goal lead evaporated when the Minnesota Wild allowed two third-period goals, including one with 1 minute, 13 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, against the Panthers March 26 in Florida. The ending seemed destined for yet another overtime finish. This story also appeared in the Wild game-day program. |
The Quinn Hughes Effect: One of the best defensemen in the league, Hughes 'just makes us all better'
April 6, 2026 Pregame warm-ups often draw a crowd along the glass, usually with young fans holding signs and wanting to get a glimpse of their favorite players up close. Ahead of the Dec. 14 game against the Boston Bruins at Grand Casino Arena, fans gave the newest member of the Wild – Quinn Hughes – a loud ovation when he skated on and off the ice for warm-ups. |
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Charlie Stramel signing with Wild ‘a dream come true’
April 10, 2026 The 21-year-old center will rehab a broken ankle and prepare for training camp. |
Round 1 Playoff Preview: Stars vs. Wild
April 15, 2026 A familiar matchup for two of the league’s best in the Central Division. This story also appeared in the Wild game-day program. |
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Tarasenko Takes His Shot
April 17, 2026 The veteran winger brings his vast playoff experience to the Wild. |
Wallstedt bounces back with ‘quite a turnaround’ this season
April 19, 2026 The rookie goaltender showed he belongs in the NHL with a successful 2025-26. |
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Back home to ‘reset’ as playoff series intensifies
April 21, 2026 The Wild split the first two games in Dallas with a pair of competitive efforts. |
Brock Star: Brock Faber has showcased his growth as a young NHL defenseman
April 24, 2026 Brock Faber’s first career Stanley Cup Playoff goal tied Game 2 in Dallas 1-1 in the first period. He ended the night by doubling his goal total, scoring his second of the night to get the Wild within a goal in the third period. |
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Shrink the Special Teams Margins
April 25, 2026 Wild will look to cash in on power-play chances in Game 4. |
Boldy has ‘it factor’
April 27, 2026 The Wild forward produces in the playoffs after his banner hockey season. |
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Reason to Believe
April 30, 2026 Wild players are excited for the opportunity that awaits them in front of the home crowd. |
Round 1 Series Recap
May 2, 2026 The Wild’s stars carried them past the Dallas Stars for a 4-2 series victory. This story also appeared in the Wild game-day program. |
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Round 2 Playoff Preview
May 3, 2026 The Wild face another divisional foe in the Colorado Avalanche. This story also appeared in the Wild game-day program. |
Stanley Cup Puck Holder is the Work of a Fan
May 10, 2026 Season ticket holder of Rough Sanded Woodworking made the Wild’s playoff puck holder. |
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Exciting season gets Wild over the hump, still short of ultimate goal
May 19, 2026 The sting of the Game 5 and Second Round series loss to the Colorado Avalanche was still fresh for Minnesota Wild players a couple of days later. |
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