Jim Mill is in his fourth season with the Wild as Assistant to the General Manager. He reports to General Manager Chuck Fletcher and helps oversee the day-to-day operations of the Wilds hockey operations department, assisting with contract negotiations, player development and scouting. Mill also serves as the General Manager of the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Mill is instrumental in identifying and signing key free agents for the minor league system, and hired John Torchetti, a Stanley Cup winner with Chicago, to serve as Houstons Head Coach in 2011-12. The Aeros went 35-25-16 and were the only team that advanced to the final four in 2010-11 to qualify for the playoffs this season.
Prior to the 2010-11 season, Mill rebuilt the Aeros coaching staff, hiring Head Coach Mike Yeo and Assistant Coaches Darryl Sydor and Brian Wiseman. That group led Houston to a 46-28-1-5 mark, a Western Conference championship and the teams second trip ever to the Calder Cup Finals. Yeo and Sydor were hired to lead the Wild in July, 2011.
Before joining the Wild, Mill spent 11 years working for the AHL. He joined the AHLs hockey operations staff in 1998, was promoted to Vice President in 2001 and was named Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations prior to the 2007-08 season. In addition to personally supervising some 100 games every season, Mill managed all facets of the leagues hockey operations department, including management of the AHLs officiating program, recruiting, hiring and assigning on-ice officials to supplement those in the National Hockey League officials development program.
Mill also oversaw the leagues disciplinary process for fines and suspensions, and developed and executed the 1,160-game league schedule and coordinated the playoff schedules with all participating teams. He also served as the league secretary to the AHL Board of Governors. Mills tenure in the AHL office came after he served as Assistant Director of Hockey Operations at the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL).
Prior to joining the leagues front office, Mill served as Assistant Coach and Director of Player/Community Relations for Tallahassee (ECHL) in 1996-97 after completing a four-year career as an ECHL goaltender (1992-96). He also served on the executive board of the Professional Hockey Players Association.
The native of Detroit, Mich., grew up in Hartford, Conn., and graduated from St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., where he captained the hockey team and earned MVP honors in 1992.
He and his wife, Cindy, have three daughters, Kyra, Kady and Ashley. The family resides in Eden Prairie.