ST. PAUL, Minn. — Bruce Boudreau’s teams have been remarkably consistent and successful over nearly a decade on the bench in the NHL.

They’ve also had a history of early exits from the playoffs, which is why the 61-year-old coach became available to the Minnesota Wild.

Though the Wild have qualified for the post-season four straight times, they are badly in need of stability after several years of sharp turns away from their push for a championship.

On Tuesday, Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher spoke of his trust in Boudreau to establish the kind of environment that will foster better buy-in from the players after another disappointing season.