Wild GM Bill Guerin: ‘Everybody needs a kick in the ass sometimes’

After going 3-2-1 in their first six games of the 2023-24 regular season, the Minnesota Wild have lost nine of their last 11 and are now sixth in the Western Conference’s Central Division with a 5-8-4 record.

The Wild were part of the NHL’s Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden, where they lost in a shootout to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and fell 4-3 in overtime to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Despite heading back to North America with two out of a possible four points, things aren’t looking good in the State of Hockey.

On the most recent episode of Frankly Speaking with Frank Seravalli, Frank spoke with Wild general manager Bill Guerin in Stockholm during a team practice. During the conversation, Frank asked about the team’s tough start and what the Wild need to do going forward.

Note: this conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Also, this interview took place before the Wild’s two games over the weekend.

Frank Seravalli: It’s been a rocky start, and there’s a lot to sift through, but for an overall evaluation, where do you stand on this team?

Bill Guerin: It has been a rocky start, and I feel for me, the one thing that hasn’t been there is our compete.

Frank Seravalli: It hasn’t been at the level you need it to be?

Bill Guerin: No it hasn’t, and I’ve been very honest with the coaches and the players. To me, that’s the biggest thing we haven’t been doing is competing at a high level on a consistent basis. There’s more that we can give, and I expect that.

Frank Seravalli: Is that a surprise to you? This is a team where a lot of the same guys are back, you’re coming off a 100-point season. I know the first-round loss in the playoffs was deflating, but given that hard work is the one constant, as you say, why does that not show up?

Bill Guerin: That’s a good question and one that I don’t really have an answer for. It happens, it really does. But I think it’s part of my job to let them know how I feel and what I see. Look, everyone needs a kick in the ass sometimes. We all need it, and I think this group needed a push in the right direction.

You can listen to the full episode and other conversations on the Frankly Speaking podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.