When contacted Friday afternoon, Jacques Lemaire sounded like a happy man. Now we know why: After three days of meetings in Florida between Minnesota Wild coaches and front-office staff, Lemaire decided that he would return for an eighth season, remaining the only coach in franchise history. The decision was announced this morning.

  “When you are younger, it’s a lot easier to make a decision,’’ Lemaire said in a statement released by the team. “At the end of the year, I said I wanted to ask questions of Doug (president and general manager Doug Risebrough). I wanted to make sure my  boss is happy with the work I am doing and with the way I manage the team. This is what we talked about in our meetings. I am reassured of my work and I want to coach again. My satisfaction behind the bench is getting the team to play the best it can, individually and as a group. Success will come with that.’’

  Lemaire was open about his frustration with parts of the recently-concluded season, one in which a Wild team full of potential free agents didn’t play like a team as much as Lemaire would have liked. Lemaire was quick to point out, however, how pleased he was with his team during the six-game playoff run against Colorado.

  Still, there appeared to be some doubt about Lemaire’s future. In the wake of the first-round playoff loss Lemaire questioned himself. Was he still able to reach the players? Was he doing things in a way the Wild management team – particularly president and general manager Doug Risebrough – supported?

  Lemaire obviously got all the right answers.

  Risebrough has always supported Lemaire. Two days after the playoff run ended, for example, he said the decision to have so many players in the last year of their contract was his mistake.

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