Wild home opener Tuesday, no fan capacity restrictions set this season

Tuesday is a big day in the state of hockey.

The Minnesota Wild is hitting the ice for the team’s home opener Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center.

It’s the game Minnesota Wild fans have been waiting for, and when they walk through the doors, there will be a lot of changes in place.

Tuesday will be the first night since the start of the pandemic that the arena will be open to full capacity.

Last season, the largest crowd size allowed was 5,000 fans during the playoffs.

Team representatives said this season, keeping fans safe is their priority.

Over the last year, the team at Xcel Energy Center has worked to enhance safety measures. They are officially the first sports venue in the country to be Ecolab Science Certified, with over 500 sanitizing stations around the arena.

They’ve also upgraded the air filtration system inside the arena and have implemented a full-touchless experience ready for fans.

"We have everything available through a mobile app; It’s through the NHL app on peoples’ iPhones or Google products," Kelly McGrath, marketing director with Xcel Energy Center, said. "You can order food from your seat and get a text when it’s ready and go pick it up, you can order merchandise from the Wild Hockey Lodge in advance, and they’ll send you a little note when it’s ready to pick up."

Those are just some of the changes in place ahead of Tuesday night’s home opener.

The puck drops at 7 p.m.