Wild’s Bill Guerin is NHL’s General Manager of the Year

The Minnesota Wild’s Bill Guerin is the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year for the first time — also a first for the franchise — the NHL announced on Friday night.

Guerin helped the Wild (46-24-12) to 104 points (seventh best in the league) and a Western Conference first-round victory over the Dallas Stars before they were eliminated by the Colorado Avalanche in the playoffs.

“You don’t achieve things like this on your own, ever,” Guerin said. “It does take a village. It takes a strong family.”

He was named on 37 of 40 ballots, 14 first-place votes and received 131 total points to finish ahead of fellow first-time finalists Chris MacFarland of the Avalanche (20 first-place votes, 123 points) and Pat Verbeek of the Anaheim Ducks (two, 29).

NHL general managers and a panel of league executives and media voted at the end of the first round of the playoffs.

Guerin, 55, made a big trade in December to acquire star defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. He also signed Nico Sturm and traded for fellow forward Vladimir Tarasenko in the offseason and acquired forwards Bobby Brink, Nick Foligno and Michael McCarron and defenseman Jeff Petry before the 2026 trade deadline.

He also signed star forward Kirill Kaprizov to an eight-year, $136 million contract extension beginning next season.

Guerin was named Minnesota’s GM in August 2019 and is entering his fourth season as both GM and president of hockey operations.

The award was established for the 2009-10 season.

–Field Level Media