“That was special,” said Lemaire, who considers the run among his top feats because of the team’s expectations — or lack thereof. The Wild were in the playoffs for the first time after finishing last in the division their previous two seasons.
“I don’t think everyone, the fans, everyone involved in hockey would have said that, hey, these guys are going to go to the final conference,” Lemaire said. “I don’t think so. But we started to play, just trying to do our job. Everyone believed we do our job, we never know. That’s what I tried to tell the guys all the time.”
As much as Lemaire shaped the Wild’s competitiveness, earning 293 victories before he stepped down in 2009, it’s the fun that comes to mind first when he reflects on those eight seasons.
“We wanted to win every game, but we knew we couldn’t,” he said. “We won’t. But it was a process, and I think we did good. We had guys that were committed, guys that were involved and wanted to do well.”
Although the Wild went on to get swept by Anaheim in 2003, that’s the closest they’ve been to capturing a Stanley Cup.
To Lemaire, who won eight championships as a player before adding two more in management and another as coach of New Jersey in 1995, knowing it’s possible is crucial.