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Pay up: Minnesota Wild investors get cash call

Minnesota Wild Introduce Zach Parise and Ryan Suter - Press Conference

ST PAUL, MN - JULY 9: Zach Parise #11 and Ryan Suter #20 of the Minnesota Wild are introduced during press conference on July 9, 2012 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

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Even with no hockey-related revenue coming in, Minnesota Wild investors will have to cough up $10 million by mid-November to fund team expenses.

According to the Pioneer Press, it will be the second $10 million cash call since the club signed free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, who just so happened to negotiate identical $10 million signing bonuses that are paid regardless of the lockout.

Wild ownership is comprised of majority owner Craig Leipold and 11 limited partners.

A few weeks ago, Suter accused NHL owners, including Leipold, of “trying to go back on their word” by attempting to cut the players’ share of revenue.

Suter quickly backed off his comments – “I thought a lot about since what I said, I don’t question Craig Leipold and Minnesota with regards to negotiating our contracts in good faith” – chalking them up to frustration.

Even with an immediate cut in players’ share of league revenues from 57 to 50 percent, Suter and Parise would lose relatively little to escrow (compared to, say, Alex Ovechkin) as they’re both set to earn just $2 million in actual salary for each of 2012-13 and 2013-14.