Mats Zuccarello just got some healthy competition for the Minnesota Wild's best off-season addition.
The Wild announced some 'barking news' on Monday that they had acquired a 12-week-old Labrador Retriever by name of Breezer from Coco's Heart Dog Rescue shelter in Minnesota and signed him to a one-year contract.
Team president Matt Majka along with his wife, Kym, will take care of Breezer for the next 12 months and will help with his basic obedience training. He'll then be trained by a non-profit based company called Soldier's 6 that works with honourably discharged veterans, police officers, and firefighters.
"We are extremely ecstatic to have Breezer join the Wild organization," Majka said. "The work Coco's Heart Dog Rescue and Soldier's 6 do is truly amazing, and we couldn't imagine a better way to give back to the community than to have a part in helping Breezer find a home with a deserving individual
After his one-year deal is up, the young pup will then join an honourably discharged war veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a "Battle Buddy" to help them overcome the obstacles they face.
"We're grateful to both Coco's Heart Dog Rescue and Soldier's 6 for their collaboration in this unique opportunity," said Wayne Petersen, Minnesota Wild Director of Community Relations and Hockey Partnerships. "We're very excited to help support these two organizations and look forward to Breezer making many new friends along the way."
Fans of the Wild will be able to see Breezer at home games this season.
Breezer's first piece of business will be meeting hockey fans at the upcoming Minnesota State Fair next week.
Earlier this offseason, the Sharks announced they signed a puppy named Finn to the club, while the Lightning inked Bolt to join their respective squads for the upcoming season.
(h/t Minnesota Wild)
