Just wanted to jump on real quick since I didn’t blog today.

I wrote a end-of-the-season analysis for Monday’s paper. The Wild has scheduled a 10:30 a.m. presser down the X, where Jacques Lemaire will make it official: He is no longer the coach of the Wild. Players will be available afterward as they get their end-of-the-year physicals and exit interviews.

I began making calls today, and I found out some initial Wild players who will represent their countries at the World Championships, starting later this month in Switzerland.

Wild backup goalie Josh Harding and Wild equipment trainer Tony Da Costa will be representing Canada, Niklas Backstrom and Antti Miettinen will be representing Finland and Marek Zidlicky will be representing the Czech Republic.

Finland asked for Mikko Koivu, but he won’t play due to his knee injury. I did not talk to anybody that was aware of Slovakia’s team, but I would have to think that Marian Gaborik will make a business decision here and decline Slovakia’s invite. He’s got a huge summer ahead of him, and I can’t imagine he’d risk getting hurt.

Sid Hartman talked to Wild GM Doug Risebrough on his radio show today on WCCO. Really good stuff. Here’s some quotes, but you can read Sid’s column in Monday’s paper.

Risebrough told Sid he did not know Lemaire was going to quit, but he started to get that inkling when Lemaire told the media after Friday’s game that his mind was made up. Risebrough said he figured they’d meet after the season to discuss the job like they always do.

Risebrough: “I’ve always said this, Jacques is not only the brightest hockey mind I’ve ever worked with, he’s maybe one of the smartest individuals. And, I knew he would know when he, when the right time was going to be. And, I’ve just got to say, I am so appreciative of Jacques staying as long as he did, and I think it was the right thing.

“He has a great, quiet charisma. It comes from a true, true passion about hockey. And he has all kinds of time for people that want to talk hockey. He has all kinds of time for people who don’t know hockey but are interested in hockey. His greatest reason for coaching is he just wants to make players better. Not many coaches approach it that way. They kind of approach it like success and attention. Jacques, he doesn’t need anything but the players to get better. And some of that is with a loving hand, and some of that is with a firm hand. And the only other thing he asked them to do is just, work hard and do it together. His simple approach and, I say, the right motivation of being able to just focus on the single purpose of coaching, I think makes him interesting and appealing, and you don’t find people that don’t like Jacques Lemaire.”

On the new coach: Risebrough said he hasn’t talked to anyone and “I’ve got a great, great perspective on what coaching is, the next coach should be, because of Jacques Lemaire.”

On Marian Gaborik’s situation: “Well, again, I haven’t had any conversations with him. The purpose was to keep him and get him back and see what we could do in making a run for the playoffs, and, ultimately, he came back and once he got his confidence, he produced for us, gave us as good a chance. The word, in a response, to Jacques’ decision, was does this change Marian’s decision. Marian had said he’s leaning towards free agency. I think I kind of knew that when September came around and we couldn’t sign him for the amount of money that we offered him. Again, I haven’t had a direct conversation with him and that’s probably the most important thing to figure that out first, but that’s not going to go ahead of with dealing with the press conference about the team and Jacques tomorrow.”

OK, that is it. I’ll be on Rosen’s Sports Sunday on CBS in about an hour, KFAN at 9:20 a.m. Monday and the final “Russo Radio” show of this hockey season will be Tuesday night at 6 p.m. on KSTP live from the Metrodome.

Also, I plan to do one final live online chat, probably Wednesday. More info will come on that in the coming days.

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