Wild, fans mourn passing of Bob Naegele, Jr., original team owner
Unlocked story in the Athletic
Remembering Bob Naegele, Jr., the man who brought the NHL...
Statement from Bob Naegele III, son of Bob Naegele, Jr. and former Minnesota Wild board member:
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our much-loved 'Pop.' While he had many professional and business successes in his life, the pinnacle for him was to play his part in bringing an NHL team back to the State of Hockey. The Minnesota Wild was never about him. Mom and Pop were happily on the beach in Florida enjoying the start of retirement in 1997 when the opportunity arose to bring an NHL franchise back to Minnesota. When Gary Bettman said, "We love your market and your investor group, we never wanted to leave Minnesota, but I need one person I can call when I need to get decisions made," Pop stepped forward and said, "OK, I will do it." From day one, for him, it was all about the fans and the amazing Minnesota hockey heritage. It is a testament for how he lived his life.
Statement from Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold:
From the first time that I met Bob, when we were both introduced as new NHL owners that summer of '97, I was impressed by his passion for the game and his love of his home state. A piece of his heart and soul will remain forever as a part of the Wild. We will honor that. My family and I are so fortunate to have the chance to build on the great foundation he established here.
Unlocked story in the Athletic
Remembering Bob Naegele, Jr., the man who brought the NHL...
Last edited:
