Sarah McLellan will become the Star Tribune’s new beat writer covering the Minnesota Wild.

She joins the state’s largest paper from the Arizona Republic. She starts November 13.

McLellan graduated from Arizona State’s Cronkite School of Journalism in 2010, then joined the Arizona Republic, where she covered high school sports and participated in the paper’s NHL coverage. She took over that beat in 2012.

During that time, she covered the Arizona Coyotes ad wrote several enterprising stories on the hockey team and other pro beats in Phoenix. She’s been a leader, the paper says, on social media and video and her stories have appeared in The Hockey News and New York Times and on ESPN.

She was a finalist last season for the Red Fisher Award, through which the Professional Hockey Writers Association recognizes the NHL’s top beat reporter.

Star Tribune Media Co. officials called hockey one of the newspaper’s most important beats and add that McLellan will lead coverage in print, on the web, via video and on social media.

“Hockey coverage is a high priority for the Star Tribune,” says Glen Crevier, assistant managing editor for sports. “Heading into the season, we’re excited about our expanded efforts to remain the trusted resource for Wild fans. Sarah will play a pivotal role by spearheading our coverage on every front.”

McLellan replaces three-time “Minnesota Sportswriter of the Year” Michael Russo, who worked at the Star Tribune from 2005 to 2017, but left recently to join The Athletic.