After a middling start in the NHL with Columbus, the 21-year-old former first-round pick is getting a fresh look from the Wild.

I’m excited,” Jiricek said. “I heard it’s a hockey state, so that’s the first thing I know. And the second is it’s frickin’ cold out here."

Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has acquired defenseman David Jiricek (YIHR-ih-chuhk) and a fifth-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Daemon Hunt,