Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has won the NHL’s Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award. The 55-year-old pulled off multiple feats through the 2025-26 season, acquiring star defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks and winning a Gold Medal at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as the GM of Team USA.
Minnesota pulled off their acquisition of Hughes in mid-December. The move sent top defense prospect Zeev Buium, young center Marco Rossi, winger prospect Liam Ohgren, and a first-round pick back to the Vancouver Canucks. While a rich price, Minnesota quickly benefited from the deal. The Wild posted the eighth-most wins (28) and the seventh-most goals (178) in the NHL after the move. In that same time, Hughes scored 48 assists and 53 points in 48 games, the second-most of any NHL defender behind Evan Bouchard.
Going out in five games to the top-ranked Colorado Avalanche in the second round wasn’t the ending he or Minnesota hoped for, but Guerin’s willingness to go all-in pushed the franchise into what is its most exciting times. Winning a playoff series for the first time since 2015, the Wild will continue to be must-watch next season in their efforts to make a push into the league’s top five on the way to an eventual deep playoff run.
Each of those major highlights came after he surprised the league by extending face-of-the-franchise Kirill Kaprizov on an eye-popping eight-year deal with a $17MM AAV, good for the richest in league history. At the time the superstar had rejected an initial offer which fueled speculation that Minnesota would be unable to retain their 2015 draft gem (135th overall), but instead thanks to Guerin’s efforts, the Wild are now a top destination.
With his winter blockbuster standing out the most, betting on himself to build a team favorable for Hughes to sign long-term, Guerin made other bold moves to improve the roster. His Wild brought in a prototypical fourth line center with Michael McCarron, filling a need in face-off percentage and physicality. The late-bloomer showed enough in 20 regular season contests with the Wild for them to re-sign him on a six-year deal. Guerin also picked up respected veteran Nick Foligno. The former Chicago captain was acquired for just future considerations, letting the 38-year-old play with his brother Marcus.
Assembling an Olympic roster which controversially favored veteran presence in New York forwards Brock Nelson and J.T. Miller over young stars like Cole Caufield and Jason Robertson, the United States captured gold for the first time since 1980, defeating Canada in overtime. A moment that will be remembered for decades to come, less thought of will be the past criticisms of Guerin who strategically built a roster capable of the feat, even if it came with tough personnel decisions.
Known to be on the hunt for another big piece this summer, perhaps gold medalist Dylan Larkin, Guerin’s Wild won’t ever be quiet in his pursuit of bringing the Stanley Cup to the State of Hockey.
Pro Hockey Rumors’ Bradley Keith contributed significantly to this article.
