Report: Modano linked to Wild in GM search

In case you missed the news yesterday, the Minnesota Wild fired general manager Paul Fenton after just 14 months on the job.

Check it out:

Wild owner Craig Leipold met with the media yesterday to discuss Fenton’s firing and to address his plan for finding a replacement. Assistant GM Tom Kurvers will take over in the interim, but who will the team hire as their full-time GM? And when?

Wild insider Michael Russo has reported that former Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall is expected to receive an interview with Leipold to discuss the position.

Russo, in a column for The Athletic, also hypothesized that former Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli, former San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi and former New York Islanders GM Garth Snow could also be in the mix. 

But, forget all these candidates. There’s one person that Wild fans want… Minnesota hockey legend Mike Modano. 

While Russo all but dismissed the notion that Leipold would hire Modano as the team’s next GM due to his lack of experience, Leipold himself did mention himself that Modano will assist in the interview process. Mondao, who is an executive advisor to the Wild, will be part of the process to find the new general manager announced Leipold. 

“We plan to add Mike Modano to this and give us more of a hockey feedback, hockey sense,” Leipold said yesterdayl. “I spoke to Mike today, he’s really willing to be a part of the process. The process will be Matt and I and Mike Modano.”

It’s also worth noting that Leipold didn’t expressly preclude Modano from consideration though, it’s just that he favors a more experienced candidate.

“Experience may be more of a factor than it was a year ago,” Leipold said. “In all honesty, I’m thinking I would really like to get an experienced general manager if the right fit is out there but we’re not going to rule out anybody at this point. I just think that an experienced person would be a good fit for us.”