Tyler Schmiesing, a 12-year-old fan from New Ulm, said he likes Gaborik but Boogaard is his favorite.

“I like the way he runs up to people and completely levels them,” said Schmiesing, who wore a Boogaard T-shirt and had a No. 24 jersey for him to sign. “I like how he gets in all kinds of fights and usually wins.”

Don’t expect fighting to go away anytime soon, Boogaard said.

The Wild were knocked out of the Stanley Cup playoffs by the rough and rugged Anaheim Ducks, who also went on to capture the NHL championship.

“This year, coming up, you’re going to see a lot more physical teams, just because Anaheim did so well,” he said.

It sounds like a more than a few Wild fans will be ready for it.