Minnesota Wild and NHL blasted for playing game – against team honored by Trump – hours after Alex Pretti shooting

The NHL and Minnesota Wild have come under fire after they opted not to postpone Saturday’s game against the Florida Panthers – despite the shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse, was shot and killed after a struggle with federal agents on Saturday. 

His death comes just two weeks after 37-year-old Renee Good was fatally shot in her car by an Immigration and Customs (ICE) officer.

In the wake of the shooting, the NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors was postponed to ‘prioritize the safety and security of the Minneapolis community.’

But the Wild’s game against the Florida Panthers in Saint Paul went ahead on Saturday night – despite furious opposition from many hockey fans.

The Panthers are the reigning Stanley Cup champions who last week visited Donald Trump in the White House to celebrate their victory.

Several fans branded the NHL and the Wild ‘spineless,’ while another said there was ‘nothing more on brand for the NHL’ than going ahead with the game ‘as if nothing is amiss’ in Minnesota.

‘Seriously what’s happening in Minnesota right now is way bigger than “hockey day,” a third said while another fan called the organization ‘evil’ and ‘trifling.’

‘The fact that they chose not to postpone the game, despite the other teams doing so… speaks volumes,’ they wrote on X.

‘The Minnesota Wild not postponing their game today when other leagues and teams did exactly that… speaks a thousand words. Actually f*** the NHL.’

Hours earlier, Minneapolis police confirmed the deceased was a white, 37‑year‑old Minnesota resident and US citizen.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told the Daily Mail that agents were in the area attempting to apprehend ‘an illegal alien wanted for violent assault’ when they were approached by Pretti.

According to the DHS, Pretti was armed and carrying two magazines at the time he was detained. The agency later released a photograph of a nine‑millimeter semi‑automatic handgun it said was recovered during the clash.

Officials claimed officers attempted to disarm Pretti but that he ‘violently resisted’ before a Border Patrol agent fired the fatal shot.

But his family eviscerated the Trump administration and branded his killers ‘murdering and cowardly thugs’ in a blistering statement.

‘The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting,’ they said.

‘Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He has his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down all while being pepper sprayed.

‘Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man.’

Video from the scene shows agents wrestling with Pretti and taking him to the ground moments before the shooting.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti had no serious criminal history, with records showing only minor parking violations. O’Hara added that he was a lawful gun owner with a valid permit.