St. Louis Blues will be Wild's Winter Classic opponent

The Wild's meeting with the Blues on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center wasn't just another clash between the Central Division rivals.

It was also a preview of next year's Winter Classic at Target Field.

St. Louis was announced as the Wild's opponent for the Jan. 1, 2021, showcase during the first intermission of Sunday's game on NBCSN.

This will be the Wild's first Winter Classic — and the league's 13th — after the franchise has long coveted the event, even coming close to nabbing the 2020 rendition that eventually ended up at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

In its only other outdoor contest, the Wild also faced a division foe — toppling the Blackhawks 6-1 on Feb. 21, 2016, during a Stadium Series matchup at TCF Bank Stadium.

Rivalry was one of the factors considered by the NHL, NBC and the Wild in determining the visiting team. So were competitiveness, star players, TV ratings and whose fans are likely to travel to Minneapolis.

With the Blues being a Midwest neighbor, they certainly check the proximity box. But the team's profile has also been on the rise after winning the Stanley Cup last year — a championship run that brightened the spotlight on winger Vladimir Tarasenko, center Ryan O'Reilly and goaltender Jordan Binnington.

St. Louis has played in one other outdoor game, hosting the 2017 Winter Classic at Busch Stadium. The Blues edged the Blackhawks 4-1.

Before Sunday's game, the Wild had 35 wins, 26 losses, five ties and 10 overtime losses to St. Louis all-time.

These two squads also have playoff history, with the Wild outlasting the Blues in six games during a first-round matchup in 2015. Two years later, it was the Blues who moved on to the second round after getting by the Wild in five games.

Ticket information will be announced later. Wild season ticket holders, suite and premium seat holders will be given the first priority.

Captain Mikko Koivu consulted with his brother Saku and relied on his dad, Jukka, as he mulled how he should finish out the season — with the Wild or potentially on another team.

But, ultimately, he realized this was a decision he had to make for himself and after thinking it over, Koivu opted to stick with the Wild.

"Just felt right," Koivu said. "Obviously, a lot of things that go into it but just felt the right thing to do."

On Saturday, Koivu told Wild management he would stay with the team instead of waiving his no-movement clause to facilitate a trade — bypassing the chance to join a contender as he finishes out a two-year, $11 million contract.

Instead, he remains with the only team he's ever played for as one of the most prolific players in franchise history. Earlier this season, Koivu became the 55th player in NHL history to play his first 1,000 games with the same team.

"I guess that's what I mean by saying it just feels right to be here and wear this logo and whatever it means to me," said Koivu, who turns 37 in March. "I think those were the things at the end that matter more than anything to me."

Aside from leaning on family members, Koivu also communicated with General Manager Bill Guerin — a rapport Koivu enjoyed.

"He was very honest right from the beginning," Koivu said. "I had really good talks with him and learned a lot from him throughout the process."

Koivu didn't divulge whether he's thought about his playing future beyond this season, but he's glad to have his present figured out.

"Just today coming to the rink was a good feeling and just one less thing to worry about and gives me a little bit more freedom to play and enjoy it," he said.

The Wild recalled forward Gerald Mayhew and defenseman Louie Belpedio from the American Hockey League on Sunday with center Luke Kunin and defenseman Carson Soucy sidelined with injury.

Both players were hurt Friday in the 5-3 win over the Oilers, suffering upper-body injuries. Kunin is expected to be out 10-14 days, while Soucy is projected to miss two to four weeks. He was moved to injured reserve.

Mayhew and Belpedio didn't play Sunday; the Wild shifted Victor Rask to center after he started at wing Friday, and winger Ryan Donato rejoined the lineup after being scratched in Edmonton.

"Whenever somebody goes out, somebody has to step up," interim coach Dean Evason said. "Souc and Kunny are real good players for us, obviously, and we're expecting guys to step up for sure."