It’s no secret that Minnesota Wild fans hate the Dallas Stars and their fans.
A three-decade-old grudge and counting with a side of an inferiority complex makes this matchup arguably one of the most bad-blooded of more recent NHL rivalries.
1993 relocation
The seeds of hatred and vitriol towards the Stars were planted after the 1992-1993 season, which would be the 27th and last NHL season for the Minnesota North Stars. In 1993 Norm Green moved the North Stars down to Dallas, and Texas hockey was born.
Concerns over the lack of attendance and a poorly kept home arena made perfect business sense for Mr. Green to move his team. Despite the fandom, the NHL is still a business. The cold hard truth of the matter was that Bloomington back then didn’t do enough to keep their team in the 90s. Conversely, Dallas hockey has been thriving and growing over the last three decades. And hockey in Texas continues to grow.
You Got Your Team; What’s The Problem?
In 2000, the NHL expanded to 30 teams. They are adding the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Minnesota Wild seven years after the departure of the North Stars; the Twin Cities got their team. Yet inspite of getting their team back, Minnesota fans not only visibly hate Dallas daily, but they copy their rivals’ colors and history.
To be fair, the following can be said about any team’s fanbase on Twitter. But Wild fans are some of the most overboard for hating the Stars for simply existing.
As Minnesota turns it’s attention to the #MNWild vs Dallas Stars playoff series, we must remind ourselves of one simple unified truth. #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/YirpxogJN5
— GopherHole.com (@GopherHole) April 17, 2023
It’s normal for fans to hate a rival, and Wild fans take it up to another level. Never mind the decades of stacking up, such as the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadians’ old rivalry.
Copying North Stars’ Colors
After relocating to Dallas in ’93, Minnesota came up with its new team, colors, and logo. However, the Wild continue to honor or hold onto the past, such as their 2023 reverse retros jerseys. They are taking the colors from another franchise and blending them with their own logo.
For the team to copy the colors of the old North Stars and for your fans to constantly gripe about the 1993 move, you paint an image of yourself as someone who can’t move forward. Many Minnesota fans seem to spend more time hating the Stars and less time cheering on the Wild.
Fans Think They’re Superior Because of Reasons
Living in ‘the state of hockey’ fans of the Wild like to look down on other team’s fan bases. Most notably, Dallas fans. Especially on Twitter, where the world sees how Minnesota fans are condescending toward Stars fans. As if being from Minnesota instead of Texas somehow makes you more of a hockey fan by default.
No doubt that Minnesota will always be known as the state of hockey. Piggybacking on the fact that Minnesota produces the most NHLers, fans will always see themselves as better and more knowledgeable fans. They will also use this, as well as any blind stereotype, to put down opposing fans such as Dallas.
Stars 2-0 All-Time vs. Wild in the Playoffs
Something that will surely add fuel to the rivalry and the hate from Minnesota fans is the playoff history. No matter how much Minnesota fans brag about their hockey traditions, they can’t shake this historical fact.
Both times the Wild and Stars have met in the playoffs, the Texas team emerged victorious. Two first-round meetings (2016 and 2023) and two 4-2 series win for the Stars.
Photo credit: Brace Hemmelgarn/USA Today Sports
To add insult to injury for a bitter Wild fanbase, they lost to a former not so well received player. Ryan Suter was on the victorious side of the handshake line.
He is helping the Stars to advance and beating his old team on their dollar.
Featured Image: Sports Team History
