The 2000–01 Minnesota Wild season was the team's first season of play in the National Hockey League (NHL). One of the policies that the Wild implemented was never naming a permanent captain. Instead, the team captaincy was rotated on a monthly basis among several of its players each season, with some players serving multiple times.
Off-season
Jacques Lemaire was named the team’s first head coach on June 19.
Regular season
The Wild struggled offensively, finishing 30th overall in scoring (168 goals for), power-play goals scored (36) and power-play percentage (9.63%). They were also shut out a league-high 14 times. Combined with the six shut-outs earned in total by goaltenders Manny Fernandez and Jamie McLennan, 20 of the Wild's 82 regular-season games ended in a shutout.
Final standings
Schedule and results
|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |1||L||October 6, 2000||1–3 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (2000–01) ||0–1–0–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |2||L||October 7, 2000||1–4 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Phoenix Coyotes (2000–01) ||0–2–0–0 || |- style="text-align:center;" |3||T||October 11, 2000||3–3 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia Flyers (2000–01) ||0–2–1–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |4||L||October 13, 2000||0–2 || style="text-align:left;"| @ St. Louis Blues (2000–01) ||0–3–1–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |5||L||October 15, 2000||3–5 || style="text-align:left;"| Edmonton Oilers (2000–01) ||0–4–1–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |6||W||October 18, 2000||6–5 || style="text-align:left;"| Tampa Bay Lightning (2000–01) ||1–4–1–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |7||L||October 20, 2000||1–3 || style="text-align:left;"| San Jose Sharks (2000–01) ||1–5–1–0 || |- style="text-align:center;" |8||T||October 22, 2000||0–0 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| Florida Panthers (2000–01) ||1–5–2–0 || |- style="text-align:center;" |9||T||October 24, 2000||2–2 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| @ Montreal Canadiens (2000–01) ||1–5–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |10||L||October 25, 2000||1–6 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Toronto Maple Leafs (2000–01) ||1–6–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |11||W||October 27, 2000||3–1 || style="text-align:left;"| Calgary Flames (2000–01) ||2–6–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |12||L||October 29, 2000||2–3 || style="text-align:left;"| Chicago Blackhawks (2000–01) ||2–7–3–0 || |-
|- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |13||L||November 3, 2000||0–3 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Edmonton Oilers (2000–01) ||2–8–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |14||W||November 5, 2000||3–2 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| @ Calgary Flames (2000–01) ||3–8–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |15||L||November 7, 2000||0–2 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Colorado Avalanche (2000–01) ||3–9–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |16||L||November 8, 2000||0–1 || style="text-align:left;"| Calgary Flames (2000–01) ||3–10–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |17||W||November 10, 2000||5–2 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Chicago Blackhawks (2000–01) ||4–10–3–0 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#FF6F6F;" |18||OTL||November 12, 2000||4–5 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| Edmonton Oilers (2000–01) ||4–10–3–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |19||L||November 15, 2000||2–3 || style="text-align:left;"| New York Rangers (2000–01) ||4–11–3–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |20||L||November 17, 2000||1–3 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Buffalo Sabres (2000–01) ||4–12–3–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |21||W||November 18, 2000||6–1 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Boston Bruins (2000–01) ||5–12–3–1 || |- style="text-align:center;" |22||T||November 22, 2000||1–1 OT|| style="text-align:left;"| Calgary Flames (2000–01) ||5–12–4–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |23||W||November 24, 2000||2–0 || style="text-align:left;"| Chicago Blackhawks (2000–01) ||6–12–4–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#cfc;" |24||W||November 26, 2000||4–2 || style="text-align:left;"| Vancouver Canucks (2000–01) ||7–12–4–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |25||L||November 28, 2000||1–4 || style="text-align:left;"| @ San Jose Sharks (2000–01) ||7–13–4–1 || |- style="text-align:center; background:#fbb;" |26||L||November 30, 2000||0–2 || style="text-align:left;"| @ Phoenix Coyotes (2000–01) ||7–14–4–1 || |-