Bill Guerin earns NHL General Manager of the Year honor for Minnesota Wild

Bill Guerin, executive vice president of hockey operations and general manager of the Minnesota Wild, was awarded the 2025‑26 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year award. The NHL announced that Guerin received 37 of 40 ballots, 14 first‑place votes and 131 points, beating finalists Chris MacFarland and Pat Verbeek. Under his leadership the Wild posted a 104‑point regular‑season record, reached the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2015 and made the playoffs in six of his seven seasons.

Key moves highlighted by the award include acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks in December, signing forward Kirill Kaprizov to an eight‑year, $136 million contract, and adding veterans Bobby Brink, Nick Foligno, Michael McCarron and Jeff Petry before the trade deadline. Hughes contributed 53 points in 48 games and 15 points in the playoffs, and helped Team USA win its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey since 1980.

Wild owner Craig Leipold confirmed the team will seek to re‑sign Hughes when his current six‑year, $47.1 million deal expires on July 1, indicating a desire for a multi‑year extension.