Jim Mill Straddles Two 'Wild' Teams
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- It's three-plus hours south of the Xcel Energy Center. Des Moines Iowa hardly strikes you as a hockey hot bed, but it's the ideal partner for the Minnesota Wild.
Jim Mill has a unique position -- he's the assistant to General Manager Chuck Fletcher on the Wild's NHL team, meaning he lives in the Twin Cities and works with the Wild. But he's also the general manager of the Iowa Wild.
Dreams are nourished here, for people like Brian Connelly, a Bloomington-Jefferson product looking for a big league break.
Making it out of the AHL is not easy. You forget how good you have to be to play minor league hockey.
The idea of being close to St. Paul is perfect for Mill. He can drive here, sometimes as much as three times a week. And controlling the franchise is done for one reason -- develop better hockey players.
But the Iowa Wild are all about the Minnesota Wild, and that mission is above all else in the organization.
Watch Mike Max's story above.