Out of all the contrast and deals that the Minnesota Wild have engaged in this season none has been as successful as the one that brought Breezer to the team this year.
At the onset of the season, The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Minnesota Wild announced it had adopted Breezer. He was just a 12-week-old Labrador Retriever rescue dog from Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue. They picked him up on a one-year training contract. Breezer will be raised to become a future service dog.
Minnesota Wild President Matt Majka and his wife, Kym, are the foster parents for Breezer and have helped facilitate basic obedience training. Following his tenure with the Wild, Breezer will pursue a career training with Soldier’s 6, a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Minnesota that provides honorably discharged veterans, police officers, and fire fighters with specially trained K-9’s.
“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.”
At the conclusion of his specialized training, Breezer will be permanently placed with a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a “Battle Buddy” and will help guide them through the difficult days in life.
“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.”
Breezer made an appearance at the Wild vs Blues game on Sunday night where B93.3’s Morning Show with Bill Satre had the chance to meet him one on one. Breezer will be a frequent visitor at most Wild home games. Fans can follow Breezer’s journey with the Wild by following him on Instagram and Twitter and at wild.com/breezer.