Yes, and you don’t have to drive to either rink. Hockey season in the Twin Cities means two things: the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena in downtown St. Paul (the building most people still call the Xcel Energy Center), and Gopher hockey at 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus. Both are on the METRO Green Line, and the Green Line’s downtown Minneapolis stations are a few blocks north of Oakland’s on 9th, our furnished studio building at 215 South 9th Street. If you’re in town for a week of games, a work stint that happens to overlap with the home opener, or a whole winter, here is how the 2026–27 season lays out from our front steps.
The Minnesota Wild’s 2026–27 home schedule, October and November
The Wild open the season on the road in Nashville on Thursday, October 1, and play their home opener on Saturday, October 3 against Boston at 7 PM. October is road-heavy (ten away games, including a five-game western trip from October 20 to 27), so the early home dates are worth grabbing:
- Saturday, October 3 — Boston, 7 PM (home opener)
- Monday, October 12 — Vegas, 7 PM
- Thursday, October 15 — St. Louis, 7 PM
- Sunday, October 18 — Columbus, 5 PM
- Thursday, October 29 — N.Y. Islanders, 7 PM
- Friday, November 6 — San Jose, 7 PM, and Saturday, November 7 — Tampa Bay, 7 PM
- Tuesday, November 17 — Nashville, 7 PM
- Wednesday, November 25 — Utah, 7 PM, and Friday, November 27 — Colorado, 3 PM
Later in the season the calendar tips the other way: December and January each hold nine home games, and the longest homestand of the year runs seven games from December 12 to 28. Dates and times are subject to change, so check the team’s schedule page before you buy. Single-game tickets went on sale in August.
Getting to a Wild game from 9th Street
The team’s own transportation page says it plainly: ride the METRO Green Line to Central Station in downtown St. Paul, and it’s a short walk to the arena from there, with skyway access in the tower at the station for the coldest nights. The Green Line runs between the two downtowns by way of the U of M campus, and its Nicollet Mall station is a few blocks north of Oakland’s. Plan the specific trip on Metro Transit’s trip planner and glance at rider alerts on game day. If you’d rather drive, the arena has two connected ramps and sells guaranteed parking in advance; our car-free guide to downtown covers the parking side of a stay here.
Gopher hockey at 3M Arena at Mariucci
The Gophers’ 106th season starts on the road, and the home opener is a North Dakota series on Thursday, October 22 at 7 PM and Friday, October 23 at 6 PM. Big Ten play begins at home the following weekend against Penn State on October 30 and 31 (times to be announced), then Wisconsin comes to Mariucci on November 5 and 7; the Saturday game is the Gold Out. Alaska Anchorage visits November 13 and 14 at 7 PM, and there’s a 4 PM Friday-after-Thanksgiving game against Minnesota State on November 27. Single-game and mini-plan tickets go on sale to the public on October 1.
Mariucci is on the East Bank of campus, and Metro Transit lists the Green Line as the route from downtown Minneapolis to the university, running along 5th Street and Washington Avenue; the campus stations are a walk of a few blocks from the arena. A couple of house rules from the arena’s own event page worth knowing before you leave the studio: only clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed, there is no re-entry, and doors open an hour before puck drop. We’ve written before about staying here for Gopher football; the same logistics apply, with warmer gloves.
Why a furnished studio beats a hotel for a hockey trip
A single game is a hotel night. A season is something else. Scouts, visiting families of players, hockey parents in town for a tournament week, and fans who build a winter around the schedule all end up wanting the same things: a real kitchen, a place to dry gear, and a rate that makes sense past night three. Oakland’s is a month-to-month furnished studio building with no lease required; you can stay a night, a week or a month, and every studio has a full kitchen, WiFi, all utilities and heat included, plus free laundry on site. Studios come in Good, Better and Best tiers, check-in is by keycode so a late train back from St. Paul is never a problem, and some studios are pet friendly.
Two honest notes. Oakland’s is an 1889 building with stairs and no elevator, so if that’s a concern, read our post on the stairs before you book. And while the downtown Minneapolis skyway system is a block’s walk away, the building itself is not connected to it; you’ll be outside for one block, which in January is a real block.
Make a hockey week of it
Between games, downtown is at your feet: Target Center for the Timberwolves is a walk away (our November guide has the dates), Target on Nicollet Mall is two blocks off for groceries, and if you’re arriving by rail in the first place, our guide to arriving from Union Depot starts you on the Green Line before you’ve even unpacked. For a night off from the rink, the Pillsbury Club, the speakeasy-style club inside the Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion, is a short ride south, and it’s where Minneapolis Trolley Tours boards.
Ready to plan around the schedule? Check availability and book your studio at Oakland’s on 9th, or call us at (612) 314-5124 with your dates and we’ll help you line them up with the home games. Bring a jersey; we’ll keep the heat on.
Keep reading: Can You Find a Short-Term Sublet in Downtown Minneapolis? Why a Furnished Studio With No Lease Is Often the Easier Answer