Multiple Financial Firms Bidding for Minnesota Wild Arena Naming Rights

By Ted Schwerzler |

Updated: Dec 22, 2024

Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota Wild — Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Change isn’t easy, especially when it comes to arena naming rights. But at this point, it’s time for Minnesota Wild fans to come to grips with a difficult reality. Their favorite hockey team will no longer play at the Xcel Energy Center, after the 2024-25 season. They’ll still play in St. Paul, and they’ll play games in the same building. It just won’t hold the same name.

A new suitor emerges for Minnesota Wild home

Xcel Energy has been the corporate naming rights sponsor for the Minnesota Wild’s home arena in downtown St. Paul since it opened in 2000. ‘The X’ is a staple institution, among Minnesota sports fans. But starting next year, they’ll be forced to re-wire their sports brains.

According to Charley Walters (Pioneer Press), Securian Financial emerged as a potential partner, a while back. But now, they have some competition, in RBC Wealth Management, another financial planning company.

“There’s buzz that RBC has joined Securian among financial firms under consideration to replace Xcel Energy Center as corporate naming sponsor for the St. Paul Arena. A deal could be worth at least $10 million a year over 25 years.”
Charley Walters on the Minnesota Wild naming rights (Pioneer Press)

RBC Wealth Management is a financial firm that already has a growing presence in the Twin Cities metro area. RBC’s Minnesota headquarters is located near Nicolet Mall, in Minneapolis. In fact, the financial juggernaut recently added to the downtown Minneapolis skyline a few years ago, opening a 33-story skyscraper. Now, RBC is trying to put its stamp on St. Paul.

Walters suggests that the new naming rights deal will last 25 years, which was the contract length of the building’s original naming rights partner, Xcel Energy. We’ll see if this imminent name change actually holds, with the Minnesota Wild fanbase, or if State of Hockey fans are stubborn enough to call it “The X” forever, no matter who is actually paying for the sponsorship.