Minnesota Wild clinch berth in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Minnesota Wild have become the fourth team to clinch a berth in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, as winger Matt Boldy cemented his breakout season with his 39th and 40th goals of the season, the Wild got over the finish line after multiple possible clinching scenarios did not unfold on prior nights.

Minnesota joins its division foes, the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, in being among the first teams in the West to secure their spots.

That fact is a reflection of two of the biggest storylines of this NHL season, the strength at the top of the Central Division (Colorado, Dallas and Minnesota have consistently been three of the top five teams in the entire league) and the weakness of the Pacific Division, which has made it easier for the three Central powerhouses to mathematically lock their spots down early.

The Wild last won a playoff series back in 2015. But make no mistake, this iteration of the State of Hockey’s team is a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.

General manager Bill Guerin made sure Kirill Kaprizov wasn’t going anywhere with a long-term extension early in the season, and then he landed the biggest fish on the trade market by snagging Quinn Hughes in a trade with Vancouver to massively upgrade Minnesota’s blue line.

The upgraded roster has driven the Wild to a 41-21-12 record with eight games still to go.

Because of the NHL’s playoff format, Minnesota is facing an uphill climb to reach the Western Conference Final. They would most likely have to go through both Dallas and Colorado in that order to even have a chance to face whichever team emerges from the Pacific side of the bracket.

The Wild will play the Vancouver Canucks at 7:00 PM CT on Thursday, with Vancouver potentially locking up last place in the NHL.