Wild alumni go with North Stars throwbacks for Stadium Series game

The Wild revealed the jerseys that will be worn for the 2016 Stadium Series alumni game, and Minnesota will be tipping their cap to the state’s hockey history. The alumni jerseys will be updated 1980s North Stars throwbacks for a game featuring alumni from both the Wild and North Stars.

The Minnesota Wild are paying tribute to part of the state’s hockey heritage as the alumni team that is set to play Feb. 20 in a game against former Chicago Blackhawks ahead of the 2016 Stadium Series game will wear Minnesota North Stars throwback jerseys. Minnesota unveiled the uniforms Monday evening ahead of their game against the Dallas Stars, which happens to be the team that shares a history with the North Stars. In a 58-second video on WildTV, the Wild showed off some of the former North Stars greats, including Mike Modano and Neal Broten, both of whom also suited up in Dallas.

The jerseys are almost exact replicas of those worn by the North Stars from 1981-82 to 1990-91. The alumni jerseys feature the same striping as those former home sweaters, the same neckline and the logo and number design remains the same. The one alteration, though, is a change to the left shoulder patch. The North Stars’ jerseys during that 10-year period featured the primary logo on both shoulders, but it has been removed from the left shoulder in favor of the Wild’s primary mark.

The pants design is also the same as it was from 1981-88, with green as the primary color and white and yellow striping along the side. "It's fun to put on this jersey. I think the fans will get a kick out of watching us play on Saturday just because of the rivalry in the past," Broten said, via NHL.com. "I think fans will remember the games we used to play at the old Met Center against the Blackhawks. It should be a fun game, and then of course, the game on Sunday will be packed.” Broten is the second-highest scoring Minnesotan player of all-time, played for the University of Minnesota and was drafted by the North Stars. Those who’ve grown up with hockey in Minnesota watched Broten’s best years, and he’s as much a part of the state’s hockey history as he is a part of the North Stars/Stars’ history. Some will argue that a game featuring Wild alumni shouldn’t also feature North Stars players as the team’s have separate histories and the North Stars should remain tied to the Stars. That said, the Stadium Series, and especially the alumni game, is an event for the fans. It’ll be fun to watch the North Stars alumni mix with the Wild alumni at the game, and they’ll look great doing so — in beautiful, throwback North Stars threads.