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."

Despite a recent story by HockeyWilderness saying David Jiricek would make his Wild debut on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks, Wild head coach John Hynes said on Monday that Jiricek will need to practice more before he plays.