The Wild Guide for Hockey Season 2014

This post from 2013 is an awesome reference for fans going to MN Wild hockey games! We've updated it for 2014 to ensure you know exactly what you need to party like a Wild fan!

Hockey season is upon us St. Paul! Whether you’re headed to the game or need a place to watch, we’ve got you covered with this guide to Minnesota Wild games.

Where to Watch:

St. Paul has an abundance of bars to watch the Wild, some of which offer game day specials! Here’s our list of the best places to watch Wild games:

•  Eagle Street Grill - 2 for 1's taps (must watch game in facility)
• Tom Reid’s Hockey City Pub - 2 for 1's every Wild game.
•  Cork’s Irish Pub - 1/2 price Mich Golden taps, nachos, and cheese curds during any televised Wild game. 
• Billy’s on Grand  - no specials until football specials end.
• The Wild Onion - no Wild specials
•  The Liffey - no Wild specials
• Patrick McGovern’s - no Wild specials
• Skinner’s Pub - no Wild specials, but possibility of starting some.
• The Wild have their own Pinterest Page, and in it is a board titled 'Pre and Post Wild Game Hangouts" - some of them are a bit fancier and we're not even sure they show the games, but hey, the Wild said it, not us!
• The bars listed below in the 'Shuttle Service' section are also great places to catch the games.

Lucky enough to secure a seat at the Xcel Energy Center? Wonderful! Now it’s time to strategize. How will you get to the game? Thankfully, there are several places in St. Paul that offer shuttle service to the Xcel Energy Center.

Shuttle Service:

• The Lowertown Entertainment District has organized a shuttle to run loops to Black Dog Cafe, Heartland, The Bulldog Lowertown, Barrio Lowertown, Trattoria Da Vinci, and Señor Wong. Here is the schedule of times. We recommend calling each location to ensure the shuttle is on time.
•  O’Gara’s Bar & Grill sends the Shamrock Shuttle to the Xcel Energy Center an hour before every faceoff. And a lovely coincidence: Happy Hour lasts from 3 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, allowing you to eat and drink on the cheap before the game starts. They've just added a new 65" TV too, bringing the total number to 15, so feel free to catch the game at the facility while enjoying Wild Game Day specials.
• Alary’s Bar has four… yes four… shuttles that go to the Xcel Energy Center for Wild games. Customers receive free indoor parking for all home games. Pay $3 for a bus ticket, then  redeem the ticket after the game at Alary's bar for beer or rail drinks.  Alary’s is also a great place to watch the game on TV, with its many televisions and sports bar atmosphere. (It's about a 5-8 minute walk from Pioneer Endicott)
•  Bennett’s Chop & Railhouse offers game day sirloin specials, Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m., and roundtrip shuttle service to all Xcel Energy Center events. 
• Tiffany Sports Lounge shuttles customers to all Wild games and has top-notch food and drink menus. It’s always a fun time at Tiff’s, whether you’re stopping in for a drink or making a night of it.
• Shamrock's makes two runs to the Xcel Energy Center, with the first one leaving 40 minutes before the game, and the second 15 minutes before the game. Go in early for a quick game of bowling! The shuttle will pick you up at the bowling ally rail.
• The Gopher Bar told us (literally like 2 minutes ago over the phone) that they will be starting shuttle services to Wild games ASAP, hopefully by 10/23. Call to check on the status! And if you're looking for cheap beer, this is the place to go; domestic taps are $1.50!
• The Twin Cities Metro Transit offers free bus and lightrail rides to all Wild games. Just show the driver your ticket and you’re good to go! The addition of the Green Line has made this an even more convenient option.
• If you live at Pioneer Endicott, it's only a 12 minute walk to the Xcel Center. No shuttle needed!

 

Parking:
If you'd rather drive downtown, there are certainly various parking options.

• Downtowner Woodfire Grill: Park in one of their lots or at their location across the street at Burger Moes, and pay $15. This $15 can be redeemed at either location for drinks and food! These restaurants are 1.5 - 2 blocks west of the Xcel, making it a quick walk.
• Front Door Parking: The Xcel Energy Center is serviced by two ramps directly connected to the complex, RiverCentre Ramp and Kellogg Ramp. These do fill up quickly, so plan to arrive early if you want to park close.
• There are more than 50 other ramps to choose from, so we won't make this a 4-page post and list them all, but we will provide you with a map of parking options. Here is a different map of the same lots.

We're sure many of you know other places to watch the games, park, or grab a bite to eat, so feel free to share with us and we can update the post! We hope this makes your Wild game day experience as fabulous as it can be :)