formed by former majority owner Bob Naegele, Jr. of Naegele Sports, LLC in 1997. On January 10, 2008, it was announced the franchise was being sold to former Nashville Predators owner Craig Leipold. The NHL's Board of Governors officially approved Leipold's purchase of Minnesota Sports & Entertainment (MSE) on April 10, 2008. Leipold, a resident of Racine, Wisconsin, completed the sale of the Nashville Predators to a local ownership group on December 7, 2007, a team he owned since the expansion franchise was awarded to Nashville in 1997. Leipold is the majority owner and principal investor in MSE, a regional sports and entertainment leader that includes the NHL's Minnesota Wild, its AHL affiliate the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League, Wildside Caterers, 317 on Rice Park and the facility management of Xcel Energy Center and the Saint Paul RiverCentre. He also serves as the team's Governor at NHL Board of Governors' meetings. After purchase of MSE, Mr. Leipold sold the Swarm to John Arlotta. Along with the Wild, the group has year-round management rights of the Xcel Energy Center, and currently has a management contract to manage the adjoining Saint Paul RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium; in addition the partnership also owns and operates 317 on Rice Park, which is the former historic Minnesota club. Community involvement The Minnesota Wild stay involved in the community through the philanthropic activities of the Minnesota Wild Foundation and its operations to support the game of hockey with events such as Hockey Day Minnesota. It has been celebrated every year since 2007. The Wild are 13-2-1 on Hockey Day Minnesota. Started in 2017, the Wild unveiled a new tradition called This Is Our Ice which encourages Wild fans to bring water from local ponds, lakes and rinks and add it to the Xcel Energy Center ice. Fans can bring water to any regular-season home game and add it to the collection station which will then be added to the ice for the season. Minor league affiliates Minnesota currently has two minor league affiliates: the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL. The Iowa Wild is owned by the parent club, who relocated the franchise from Houston in 2013. Former minor league affiliates Alaska Aces Allen Americans Austin Ice Bats Bakersfield Condors Cleveland Lumberjacks Houston Aeros Johnstown Chiefs Louisiana IceGators Mississippi Sea Wolves Orlando Solar Bears